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Cropper Lads

from Trade's End by Whistling Treason

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about

Luddite banger, written by Luddites for Luddites. Got to love that. The Cropper lads worked the cropping shears which trimmed the raised nap on high quality handwoven cloth. Their livelihoods were threatened by shearing frames - mechanised shears - which did an inferior job on the cheap. The Luddite uprising was huge, and it supposedly took a larger militarised force than was used against Napoleon to repress them. Partly this was down to them keeping faith with each other, and not informing. In Wiltshire, one Thomas Helliker was executed for machine breaking, a crime of which he was later believed to be innocent. It was said that he knew who was responsible, but chose to protect them with his silence. Now that's solidarity.

lyrics

Come Cropper lads of high reknown
Who like to drink strong ale that's brown
And strike each haughty tyrant down
With hatchet, pike and gun.

Chorus:
Oh the Cropper lads for me
And gallant lads they be
With lusty stroke, the shear-frames broke
The Cropper lads for me

What though the Specials still advance
And soldiers nightly round us prance
The Cropper lads stil lead the dance
With hatchet, pike and gun

And night by night, when all is still
And the moon is hid behind the hill
We forward march to do our will
With hatchet, pike and gun

Great Enoch still shall lead the van
Stop him who dares, stop him who can
Press forward every gallant man
With hatchet, pike and gun

credits

from Trade's End, released February 19, 2024
Trad, arranged by Whistling Treason

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about

Whistling Treason image

Whistling Treason Bristol, UK

Dubplate-folk, Soundsystem Trad, Acoustic or Valve Powered, Global Confusion. Whatever I feel like.

As guitarist with RSVP Bhangra and Malarchy, I've played countless major festivals across Britain and Europe, including Glastonbury & Womad.

What started out as a strictly folk project has expanded wildly, to incorporate tunes from around the world, original compositions, and a whole lot of dub. ... more

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