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Cotton

from Lyrics by Thursday's Child

lyrics

Cotton
Ken Punshon & Chris Pyam (2010)

[Harness frames and heddles dress the warp thread up and down
Then neatly through the open shed the weft is quickly wound
Hear the shuttle clacking, whizzing to and fro
Carrying the bobbins where they need to go]

Weaving in the farmhouse with wool and flax and silk
Sold pieces to the chapman, or someone of that ilk
The waters in the vallies flowed so pure and clean
Then John Lombe stole the secret of water powered machines

Soaking up the rivers between the rolling hills
The rhythm of the farm turned to dark satanic mills
Sky with soot was darkening from coal producing steam
The hot oil and the cotton fluff, the looms did thump and scream

[]

The scutcher cleaned the bales and thus the lap was made
Reduced the tex through carding, to give a constant grade
Then doubling of the fibres was done on draw frame
Using several carders the output stayed the same

Sometimes there was combing to enhance the quality
As output of this process a twisted rope we'd see
The sliver then was thinned by up to three speed frames
Via slubbing and the inter, the rovin finally came

[]

To finish off the spinning the mule and then the ring
Stretched the yarn and twisted then wound on a bobbin
The mule came from the jenny moving forth and back
As carriages moved forward, they left a narrow gap

Through it moved the spinners and the piecers mending threads
The doffers handled cops, the noise inside their heads
Then came the ring frame tenters from Arkwright's water frame
Working ever faster, the noise was just the same

[]

The yarn came from the spinning and upon the cones was wound
Or taper sized the warper's beam to ensure the thread was sound
The drawers and the reachers fed the eyelet with the thread
Picking stick hit shuttle with a noise to break your head

Tacklers checked the loomers and set up warps afresh
While all the while with pounding noise (the) warp and weft did mesh
Back and forth the weavers went, competing with the loom
Iron clogs on wooden floor beating out the tune

[]

credits

from Lyrics, released July 21, 2012

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Thursday's Child UK

Thursday's Child was born on a Monday (August Bank Holiday 2009)!

Chris Pyam and Ken Punshon got together to try out a couple of ideas for songs. That afternoon they created about eight songs; since then over 100 more have emerged, with a few more 'bubbling away'.

Heather Dunn joined us in Nov 13 to contribute additional harmonies during the creation of our third album (Carry My Thoughts). ... more

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