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> Peter Bellamy > Songs > On a Monday Morning
> Louis Killen > Songs > On a Monday Morning
> Martin Carthy > Songs > On a Monday Morning

On a Monday Morning

[ Roud - ; Cyril Tawney]

Cyril Tawney sang his own song On a Monday Morning on the 1966 Electra anthology A Cold Wind Blows. He also sang it on his 1972 Argo album In Port, on his 1994 cassette of songs abour drink and drinkers, Down the Hatch, which recording was reissued in 2003 on Navy Cuts: The Songs of Cyril Tawney, on his 1997 cassette of his non-maritime songs, Man of Honour. A live recording at the Holsteins folk club in Chicago on 31 May 1981 was released in 2007 on his CD Live at Holsteins. Tawney noted:

The kind of song that can be heard with detached amusement only if you yourself aren’t among the sufferers. Back in 1949 a navel apprentice’s vocal quartet known as The Four Aways (‘Lofty’ Edwards, ‘Dumbo’ Elford, ‘Windy’ Waterhouse and Yours Truly) made a private recording of the current hit Lucky Old Sun, and the idea recurs here in verse 4.

Peter Bellamy sang On a Monday Morning live at the Folk Studio, Norwich, on 22 June 1971, which was released in the following year on his LP Won’t You Go My Way?.

The High Level Ranters sang On a Monday Morning in 1971 on their Trailer album High Level.

Louis Killen sang On a Monday Morning unaccompanied at the Clancy Brothers’ concert at the Bushnell Auditorium in Hartford, Connecticut on 17 March 1972. This concert was released a year later on their album Live on St. Patrick’s Day.

Martin Carthy sang On a Monday Morning in 1974 at the Shamrock Folk Club in Kirkgate, Leeds. This recording was included in 2001 on the anthology The Carthy Chronicles. The accompanying book commented:

Cyril Tawney is probably best known for his repertoire of songs related to naval life, including Chicken on a Raft and The Grey Funnel Line, and these have provided the theme for many of his albums. He is also one of the leading authorities on Sabine Baring-Gould. In 1961, he became part of Bert Lloyd and Ewan MacColl’s Centre 42 team, aiming to bring culture to the masses. His earliest recordings (for HMV) sprang from this venture. In 1966, he was one of the team of composers working in a traditional style who put together the Elektra LP A Cold Wind Blows on which Martin Carthy appeared [but on another track than this]. Aside from this song, that set included The Oggie Man and Sammy’s Bar.

The songs also appears on Cyril’s [albums] Down the Hatch, Man of Honour, and also on In Port, an Argo album released a little over a year before this recording was made. This was at a performance on 24 January 1974 at The Shamrock Folk Club in Kirkgate, Leeds, where incidentally Cyril has lived for the past decade. It was the first song of the set, performed in response to a request from the audience, which may have included Cyril that night. Martin’s recording of Cyril’s Sally Free and Easy can be heard on the first Three City Four LP.

Nic Jones sang On a Monday Morning in a concert performance recorded prior to 1982 but of unknown origin. It was included in his 2 CD collection Unearthed.

The Fraser Sisters sang Monday Morning in 2001 on their No Masters CD Going Around.

Barry Lister sang On a Monday Morning as part of his Factory Set on his 2006 CD Ghosts & Greasepaint.

Rachel Unthank & The Winterset sang On a Monday Morning on the first track on their first CD, Cruel Sister, and they sang it live at the Tanz & Folkfest Rudolstadt 2009. Rachel noted on their album:

We first heard this sung by Ron the policeman at Ryton Folk Club. It is usually portrayed as a light-hearted song, but try as we might, we just can’t see the humour in the words “too soon to be out of my bed”. They are words which stay with us all day, at least until early evening, whether it’s a Monday or not.

This video shows them in a pub in Sydney in 2009:

Pete Coe sang On a Monday Morning in 2010 on his CD Backbone.

Jon Boden sang On a Monday Morning as the Monday, 6 September 2010 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He commented in his blog:

I don’t remember where I first heard this—it’s such a stalwart of singing sessions. Since going pro I’ve always felt a bit guilty singing it at a late night singing session, since one of the great perks of being a musician is a Monday morning lie-in.

David Cambridge sang On a Monday Morning on his 2019 CD Songtales. He noted:

One of my favourite of his songs and full of sentiments with which we can all empathise. His words manage to combine Monday morning angst and self-pity with some of the loveliest lines about having to leave one’s lover in bed.

Lankum sang On a Monday Morning in 2023 on their Rough Trade album False Lankum. They noted:

On a Monday Morning was written by Cyril Tawney. We learned it from Beanie Entwistle of the Manchester-based band Sallows.

Lyrics

Cyril Tawney sings On a Monday Morning

Too soon to be out of my bed
Too soon to be back at this bus-queue caper
Or fumblin’ for change for my picture paper
On a Monday morning

Wrong end of the week for a smile
Wrong end of the day for being civil
It’s many a saint would be a devil
On a Monday morning

Where is the weekend now?
Where is the whisky and beer I tasted?
Gone the same way as the pay I wasted
On a Monday morning

If only the birds would booze,
If only the sun was a party giver,
And if I could just give someone else my liver,
On a Monday morning

My lover she lies asleep
My lover is warm and her heart is mellow
I’d trade you the world just to share her pillow
On a Monday morning

Too soon to be out of my bed
Too soon to be back at this bus-queue caper
Or fumbling for change for my picture paper
On a Monday morning