{"id":6362,"date":"2024-07-07T08:47:35","date_gmt":"2024-07-07T12:47:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=6362"},"modified":"2025-07-22T09:57:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T13:57:08","slug":"windmills","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=6362","title":{"rendered":"Windmills"},"content":{"rendered":"

A lovely song by the late Alan Bell<\/a>; windmills in days of old used canvas for the blades, and were regarded by some as the “ships of the land”.\u00a0 \u00a0Windmills were largely disappearing at the time Alan wrote this song; its jobs were taken over by newer technologies.\u00a0 However, even with the resurgence of windmills for creating electrical power, there’s a certain romance of the older styles of windmills that are mostly encountered at historic sites or the odd appearance on private land as a folly. The line about being “ready for tilting” is in reference to the 1605 novel Don Quixote<\/a> charging, or tilting, at windmills he perceived as enemy “giants”. The song is best performed slowly with a steady rhythm, mimicking the movement and works of the old mills.<\/p>\n

Jos. Morneault<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

D\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0A\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0D<\/strong>
\nIn days gone by, when the world was much younger<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 D\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0A\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0D<\/strong>
\nMen harnessed the wind to work for mankind<\/p>\n

D\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 A\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 D<\/strong>
\nSeamen built tall ships to sail on the ocean<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 D\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0A\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0D<\/strong>
\nWhile landsmen built windmills the corn for to grind<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

{Refrain}<\/p>\n

Around and around and around went the big sails<\/em><\/strong>
\nTurning the shaft and the great wooden wheel<\/em><\/strong>
\nCreaking and groaning, the millstones kept turning<\/em><\/strong>
\nGrinding to flour the good corn from the field<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In Flanders and Spain and the lowlands of Holland
\nAnd the kingdoms of England and Scotland and Wales
\nWindmills sprang up all along the wild coastline
\nShips of the land with their high canvas sails<\/p>\n

{Refrain}<\/p>\n

In Lancashire, lads work hard at the good earth
\nPloughing and sowing as the seasons declare
\nWaiting to reap all the rich, golden harvest
\nWhile the miller is idle, his mill to repair<\/p>\n

{Refrain}<\/p>\n

Windmills of wood all blackened by weather
\nWindmills of stone, glaring white in the sun
\nWindmills like giants ready for tilting
\nWindmills that died in the gales and are gone.<\/p>\n

{Refrain}<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n