If I could choose the life I please, Then I would be a boatman !
Canal boats and the Boat man
Photography : Nigel Borrington
Way back in the 1990’s the Levellers an English rock band, founded in 1988 and based in Brighton, England released this song “The boats man” from their album “Levelling the Land”.
Some songs stay with you all your life and for me this is definitely one that has 🙂
It screams out to “Personal Freedoms” , being free to live your life that way you want !! “Free as the rivers breeze”
The fact it centers on the lives of boat people is perfect, for some reason the people who’s lives where lived on the canals and river banks always felt more free, free to move and travel making a living from transporting goods (Coal, timber and foods ), from boat repairs and from music played in the many pub’s along the river banks.
The levellers
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a boatman
On the canals and the rivers free
No hasty words are spoken
My only law is the river breeze
That takes me to the open seas
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a boatman
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a rover
And if the road was not for me
Then I MIGHT choose another
Cross mountains and the valleys deep
Where I WILL take these weary feet
If I could choose the life I please
Then I would be a rover
.
But these things they’re so hard for me
I cannot choose my own destiny
And all the things that I want to see
Are so unclean
Well I wish I could choose the life I please
But I am not a free man
Others rule my destiny
But my will’s never broken
I know someday I will be
Everything that I dreamed I’d be
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.
I know someday I will be
Everything that I dreamed I’d be
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.
And when I live the life I please
Then I will be a freeman.
Nigel Borrington 
I played this tape (!) to death back in the day!
February 19, 2015 at 10:25 am
Hahaha !! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Tape ?
February 19, 2015 at 10:49 am
Thank you Nigel – a recipe for a stress free life! Canals especially are so relaxing aren’t they – speeds of no more than 4 mph and the wonderful unusual viewpoint when you are level with the fields.
February 19, 2015 at 11:01 am
Hello Diana, Thank you 🙂
These places are very special yes , its amazing how they have thrived going from industry to walking routes and holiday making. Great comment 🙂
February 19, 2015 at 11:27 am
The Levellers – that’s a blast from the past Nigel. They had some great songs.
February 19, 2015 at 6:49 pm