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A Ballad of John Ball

from Saltings by Rev Simpkins

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    32-page full colour saddle-stitched 210 x 210 mm art book of illustrations by Tom Knight for each song.

    Includes full lyrics and an essay by Matthew Simpkins.

    Printed on high quality Aquarello Gesso art paper.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Saltings via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days

      £15 GBP or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Seven long months in the making, the vinyl version of Saltings by Rev Simpkins is now available to pre-order. We have these in the building and they will ship on or before 21 October 2022. This is proper pressed vinyl album (not a lathe-cut) in a strictly limited edition of 90 copies.

    If you would like a version of the LP with the art book, please see the option below.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Saltings via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days

      £18 GBP or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Seven long months in the making, the vinyl version of Saltings by Rev Simpkins is now available to pre-order. We have these in the building and they will ship on or before 21 October 2022. This is proper pressed vinyl album (not a lathe-cut) in a strictly limited edition of 90 copies. Plus a 32-page full colour saddle-stitched 210 x 210 mm art book of Tom Knight’s illustrations, with lyrics and an essay by Rev Matthew Simpkins. The book is printed on deluxe Aquarello Gesso art paper.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Saltings via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days

      £25 GBP or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £1 GBP  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 11 Rev Simpkins releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Apple, Pissabed Prophet, Saltings, For Every Number (EP), Poor Child for Thee: 4 Songs for Christmastide, Big Sea, Advent (Single), Sing Your Life EP, and 3 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      £36.80 GBP or more (20% OFF)

     

lyrics

Every East Coast boy loves salt and light
And the chaos of the sea
When you live before the power of the waves
You learn cold equality

When to Peldon Hill from Mersea Marsh
The Black Death swept its way
Oh, the young John Ball saw that illness and death
Crave all people equally

Yet in the fields worked children and men
Who toiled as property
As the yoke fixed fast the ox to the plough
They were yoked to poverty

Holding all this suff’ring in his heart
John was called to be a priest
Reading how he cared for Jesus Christ
Was shown by his care for the least

As he learned the Word and prayed the prayers
New light on him did fall:
That if God’s love rests on every soul
Then each soul must care for all

So John preached this truth from Genesis:
That when Adam delved, Eve spun
As the only Lord was God above
Who was then the gentleman?

When the people rose and marched in hope
John went preaching at their head
And for telling kings their equal worth
He was tortured until dead

Through the mists of myth a truth speaks clear:
There’s a dignity in all
And the Commonweal’s a fragile thing
When power and wealth enthral

So let’s make a faithful pilgrimage
To the Chapel of John Ball
Where we’ll bow our heads and bend our knees
Praying make troublous priests of us all!

credits

from Saltings, released March 25, 2022

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Rev Simpkins UK

Notorious sinner-songwriter, folk symphonist & Anglican priest.
The Rev’s unique psychedelic gospel and gritty folk owes as much to the Old Testament, & the dark folk tales & barren landscapes of Essex & Suffolk, as it does to his musical heroes Bert Jansch, Captain Beefheart & the Kinks. He comes from a long line of priests whose fiery performances characterise his own style. ... more

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