The "Dark Fields" of Show of Hands Quiz

Answer: Cornwall

Copper and tin were mined in Cornwall for several thousand years (and may be again soon). Until the late nineteenth century the mines of the English West Country were the principal supply of these elements in the world. When the Cornish mines began to be worked out, the Cornish emigrated around the world to where their skills could be used. In that age the Cornish miners were acknowledged experts.

This song is an echo of those times. (Much of this also applies to mines in west Devon, but it was the Cornish who were known as 'cousin Jacks', and the song refers to places in Cornwall exclusively.)

Answer: Poacher

The long dog is a lurcher, while the song itself is concerned with a modern day poacher. This is evidenced in the tools of his trade; "...a four wheel pick up and a shotgun, never bought a meal in my life...". Steve Knightley notes that the song is based on "an amalgam of various disreputable characters encountered in West Dorset".

Answer: Lifeboat Crew

Lifeboat crews, retained firemen, mountain rescue teams, all these people volunteer to be called out at the drop of a hat (or the buzz of a pager) to attend emergency rescue situations, this is known as "the shout". In the case of the mountain rescue teams, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) they are unpaid, the organisations subsisting purely on public donations.

This song was inspired by Steve and Phil's encounters with members of Beaminster fire brigade and the Port Isaac lifeboat crew.

Answer: Port Isaac

"Carrick Roads" and "The Rocky Road to Chudleigh" were written by Phil Beer. "Plum Pudding" is a traditional tune, arranged here by Phil Beer and Steve Knightley. "Port Isaac" is a tune from Show of Hands' instrumental album, "The Path" which is written as "an instrumental journey around the West Country coastline", as inspired by the South West Coast Path, the longest long distance footpath in England.

Continuing the West Country theme, "Carrick Roads" is part of Falmouth Harbour, one of the largest and deepest natural harbours in the world. Port Isaac is a very small harbour on the north coast of Cornwall, and Chudleigh is a small town on Dartmoor in the county of Devon.

Answer: Lovers talking

"Dark Fields", the title track of the album is a song about a relationship breaking up. Lovers talking in a dark field. It is possible to find all the other options(and more) in dark fields, but not within the lyrics of this song.

Answer: Polly

As with many traditional songs various versions are known. The version here is a fairly common one that has been arranged and recorded by several artists. The crux of the story is the soldier trying to encourage his love to follow him when his regiment is sent abroad. Polly refuses, in part because she is pregnant with their child.

At the end of the song she bewails the death of "her true love" and her three brothers, all killed in warfare.

Answer: Flora

A traditional song about the fickleness of women. The singer courts his beloved, kills his rival and goes to the gallows courtesy of the testimony of the woman he was besotted with. The more I read the papers the more I am forced to conclude that history repeats itself ad infinitum.

Answer: Dreams

"A head full of hopes oh and pockets of dreams. You can live forever when you're sixteen." Steve Knightley wrote this song about growing up and trying to find excitement in the modern era after he met the son of a friend at Glastonbury.

Answer: Poland

A traditional song, which can quite reasonably be dated to the era of the Napoleonic Wars. This song commemorates the failure of Napoleon's march on Russia. Pomerania is a region of northern Europe in both Poland and Germany. Preston Park is part of Brighton, Sussex.
The version of the song performed on this album is one arranged by English singer-songwriter Nic Jones.

Answer: Jamaica

Steve Knightley wrote this song following the 1996 Bristol "Festival of the Sea" when the media coverage managed to avoid the issue of slavery completely. In the sleeve notes he claims that in some ways the ghost of the slaver still walks the streets of Bristol.