From There to Here: Ralph McTell on busking in Paris, his musical legacy, touring Ireland and the meanings behind his famous songs Streets of London and From Clare to Here
Your most famous song is Streets of London , did you ever expect it to take off in the way that it did?
Read more: Singer Joe Mac on losing his son, raising his granddaughter and his long-standing marriageNot really. It made its money when it was a hit song. I still get cross over the deals that were done back in the day and because I was so naive, but I’m not the only one. I do get satisfaction over what the song has brought me and how it has changed my life. There are people out there who are far more musically talented than I will ever be, but I had the good fortune to write that song.
Firstly, I had just come to the end of a relationship I had been in since I was 17 and I was very depressed. I was working in a timber yard in south London and it was miserable November weather. My mate suggested going to Paris with our guitars and there was a romantic sense of going there instead of being in Croydon. A wonderful adventure unfolded and I met my wife and we’ve been together for 50 odd years now.
It’s a lovely story. I was working on a building site in 1962 earning about 12 pounds a week and there was an Irish gang on the site. It was a tricky job, the soil was heavy clay. I was only 18 at the time and one of the lads was clearly not an adult, he was about 15 or 16. His name was Michael and we teamed up. He was a strong lad, but he was very shy. I paused to roll a cigarette and I said to him, “It must be very hard for you Michael, living over here in London.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Titanic's first-class dinner menu due to fetch €69,000A first-class menu for dinner served on the night the Titanic left Cobh, Co Cork, could sell for up to £60,000 (€69,000) at auction.
Read more »
Album reviews: Van Morrison’s latest celebrates the early rock ’n’ roll songs that made himElsewhere, art-punk legends make songs of dissonance and dystopia; and a country singer’s style is imbued with real soul and electrified blues
Read more »
‘People don’t take my daughter’s anaphylaxis seriously — half her class are supposedly allergic to something’Expert advice directs that any parent who believes their child has an allergy or anaphylaxis should seek medical advice on dealing with the condition
Read more »
Jack Sheehan: With support for unions at an all-time high, Trump and Biden are in a race to win working-class votesWith support for unions at an all-time high, Trump and Biden are in a race to win the votes of the working class
Read more »
Album reviews: Van Morrison’s latest celebrates the early rock ’n’ roll songs that made himElsewhere, art-punk legends make songs of dissonance and dystopia; and a country singer’s style is imbued with real soul and electrified blues
Read more »