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A wonderful song by Adele Pickvance. Adele played bass and sometimes sang in a band called the Natives of Bedlam - great band from early nineties Brisbane which is how I met her. Adele is better known for her work with the Go-Betweens.

Recorded and engineered by Michael Wade at his home studio in Carlton in December 1995. This song with "Ocean" and "Confidante" are a sample of numerous songs recorded in these sessions.

lyrics

Nelly Van Dale
© Adele Pickvance

This is the story of Nelly Van Dale
She lived in a house that was dark green and pale
She grew green tomatoes with planted old bark
And she smoked her tobacco in the cupboard at dark

She had no friends coz they said she was strange
They let her be all alone.
So she talked to herself and she talked to the walls
Waiting for darkness to fall

And Nelly was born in the wrong year
With the wrong kind of people around her
She was mistaken
In the old streets of Rochdale

Nelly had a brother, a fine young chap
With his perfect wife and his perfect hat
He decided that Nelly should not live alone
So he did what he thought was right

He took her to stay in his house for awhile
He helped her move all her things
Little did she know that once she was there
Her garden would become overgrown…

And Nelly was born in the wrong year
With the wrong kind of people around her
She was mistaken
In the old streets of Rochdale

He locked the door and took charge of the key
Letting her out for just supper and tea
The rest of her life, it was spent in this room
Looking for dark cupboards to escape all her gloom

She lasted five years, and then she did die
A sorrowful death, they declared
I remember their words “It was for the best, you know”
She grew crazier as time went by

And Nelly was born in the wrong year
With the wrong kind of people around her
She was mistaken
In the old streets of Rochdale
In the old streets of Rochdale
In the old streets of Rochdale

credits

from 'Archive': Demos, Out​-​takes and One​-​offs 1995​-​2000, released January 7, 2001
Vocals, Guitar - Penelope Swales
Backing vocals, guitar - Wayne Gillespie

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Penelope Swales Boolarra, Australia

Penelope Swales has been articulating the human condition with passion and humour for 30+ years. She sings about politics, love, friendship, the unbreakable bond between us and dogs and the impact of the Internet on society. She won the 2019 Alistair Hulett Songs for Social Justice Award with “Cambridge Analytica”. “The Ides of March in Christchurch" was short-listed for the same award in 2020. ... more

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