Factory Girl (Roud 1659)[1] is a traditional song. It was collected by Roud in both England and Ireland, and has been performed by The Roches, The Chieftains with Sinéad O'Connor, Lisa O'Neill with Radie Peat, Margaret Barry, Rhiannon Giddens, and Eric Burdon. In 2015, Rhiannon Giddens released a version on an EP of the same name, rewritten in response to disasters such as the 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse.[2][3]
| "Factory Girl" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by The Roches, The Chieftains with Sinéad O'Connor, Margaret Barry, and Eric Burdon | |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Folk rock, Celtic |
| Songwriter(s) | Traditional |
| Audio | |
| "Factory Girl" on YouTube | |
Synopsis
editIts lyrics tell the story of a young man who meets a poor girl on her way to her job at a factory. She initially resists the singer's advances due to her class pride and ability to support herself. Endings of the song vary; in some, the two characters end up marrying, but in others, the girl ultimately rejects the suitor.[4] In Gidden's version, the lyrics are rewritten so that the song ends with the collapse of the factory and death of the titular girl, in reference to the unsafe working conditions in many factories, particularly garment factories.[3]
References
edit- ^ "VWML archives: English Folk Dance and Song Society". VWML archives: English Folk Dance and Song Society. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
- ^ "Factory Girl - EP, by Rhiannon Giddens". Rhiannon Giddens. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
- ^ a b Gosztola, Kevin (8 March 2016). "Protest Song Of The Week: 'Factory Girl' By Rhiannon Giddens". Shadowproof. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "The Factory Girl (Roud 1659; Henry H127)". mainlynorfolk.info. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
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