The Newcastle Song Book Part 7

Wey, then aw ran off hyem--Nan thowt me myekin gyem; Said, my Deavy[1] for a new aw'd had a cowpey-O: But she gurn'd, aye, like a sweeper, when aw held it tiv her peeper, See'd church-windors through my bonny Gleediscowpey-O.

Then the bairns they ran like sheep, a' strove to hev a peep, Frae the audest la.s.s, aye doon to the dowpey-O: There d.i.c.k dang ower Cud, myed his nose gush out o' blood, As he ran to see the bonny Gleediscowpey-O.

There was dwiney little Peg, not sae nimmel i' the leg, Ower the three-footed stuil gat sic a cowpey-O; And Sandy wiv his beak, myed a lump i' mother's cheek, Climbin up to see the bonny Gleediscowpey-O.

But she held it tiv her e'e, aye, till she could hardly see, Oh! then aboot the markettin she thowty-O: Wey, Lukey, man! says she, 'stead o' shuggar, flesh, an' tea, Thou's fetch'd us hyem thy bonny Gleediscowpey-O.

She struck me wi' surprise while she skelly'd wiv her eyes, And aw spak as if aw'd gettin a bit rowpey-O.

So, neighbours, tyek a hint, if ye peep ower lang ye'll squint, For aw think they're reetly nyem'd a Gleediscowpey-O.

Footnote 1: A term for the Safety Lamp.

THE BONNY KEEL LADDIE.

Maw bonny keel laddie, maw canny keel laddie, Maw bonny keel laddie for me, O!

He sits in his keel, as black as the Deil, And he brings the white money to me, O.

Ha' ye seen owt o' maw canny man, An' are ye sure he's weel, O?

He's gyen ower land, wiv a stick in his hand, To help to moor the keel, O.

The canny keel laddie, the bonny keel laddie, The canny keel laddie for me, O; He sits in his huddock, and claws his bare buddock, And brings the white money to me, O.

MAW CANNY HINNY.

Where hest te been, maw canny hinny?

An' where hest te been, maw bonny bairn?

Aw was up an' doon seeking for maw hinny, Aw was through the toon seekin for maw bairn: Aw went up the Butcher Bank and doon Grundin Chare, Caw'd at the Dun Cow, but aw cuddent find thee there.

Where hest te been, maw canny hinny?

An' where hest te been, maw bonny bairn, &c.

Then aw went t' th' Ca.s.sel-garth and caw'd on Johnny Fife.

The beer drawer tell'd me she ne'er saw thee in her life.

Where hest te been, &c.

Then aw went into the Three Bulls' Heads, and down the Lang Stairs, And a' the way alang the Close, as far as Mr. Mayor's.

Where hest te been, &c.

Fra there aw went alang the Brig, and up to Jackson's Chare, Then back agyen to the Cross Keys, but cuddent find thee there.

Where hest te been, &c.

Then comin out o' Pipergate, aw met wi' w.i.l.l.y Rigg, Whe tell'd me that he saw the stannen p----n on the Brig Where hest te been, &c.

c.u.mmin alang the Brig agyen, aw met wi' Cristy Gee, He tell'd me that he saw thee gannin down Humes's Entery.

Where hest te been, &c.

Where hev aw been! aw seun can tell ye that; c.u.mmin up the Kee, aw met wi' Peter Pratt; Meetin Peter Pratt, we met wi' Tommy Wear, And went to Humes's t' get a gill o' beer.

There's where aw've been, maw canny hinny, There's where aw've been, maw bonny lamb!

Wast tu up an' down, seekin for thee hinny?

Wast tu up an' down, seekin for thee lamb?

Then aw met yur Ben, and we were like to fight, And when we cam to Sandgate it was pick night; Crossin the road, aw met wi' Bobby Swinny.-- Hing on the girdle, let's hev a singin hinny.

A' me sorrow's ower now aw've fund maw hinny; A' me sorrow's ower now aw've fund maw bairn; Lang may aw shoot, Maw canny hinny!

Lang may aw shoot, Maw bonny bairn!

BOB CRANKY'S ACCOUNT

_Of the Ascent of Mr. Sadler's Balloon, from Newcastle, Sept. 1, 1815._

Ho'way, a' me marrows, big, little, and drest, The first of a' seets may be seen; It's the Balloon, man, see greet! aye, faiks! it's ne jest, Tho' it seems, a' the warld, like a dream.

Aw read iv the papers, by gocks! aw remember, It's to flee without wings i' the air, On this varry Friday, the furst of September, Be it cloudy, wet weather, or fair.

And a man, mun, there means, in this varry Balloon, Above, 'mang the stars to fly, And to haud a converse wi' the man i' the moon, And c.o.c.kwebs to soop frae the sky.

So we started frae hyem by eight i' the morn, Byeth faither and mother and son, But fand a' wor neighbours had started before, To get in good time for the fun.

The lanes were a' crouded, some riding, some walking, Aw ne'er see'd the like iv my life; 'Twas bedlam broke oot, aw thowt by their talking, Every bairn, lad, la.s.s, and the wife.

The folks at the winders a' jeer'd as we past, An' thowt' a' wor numbers surprisin; They star'd and they glower'd, and axed in jest, Are all of ye pitmen a rising?

Aw fand, at the toon, te, the shops a' shut up, And the streets wi' folks were sae flocken; The walls wi' Balloon papers sae closely clagg'd up, Be cavers! it luckt like a hoppen.

A fellow was turnin it a' into a joke, Another was a' the folks hummin, While a third said, it was a bag full o' smoke, That ower wor heeds was a c.u.mmin.

To the furst o' these cheps, says aw, Nyen o' yur fun, Or aw'll lay thee at length on the styens, Or thy teeth aw'll beat oot, as sure as a gun, And mevies aw'll chowk ye wi' byens.

To the beak o' the second aw held up me fist, D--mn! aw'll bray ye as black as a craw, Aw'll knock oot yur e'e, if aw don't aw'll be kist, An' mump a' the slack o' yur jaw.

Aw pat them to reets, an' onward aw steer'd, An' wonder'd the folks aw had see'd, But a' was palaver that ever aw heurd, So aw walk'd on as other folk did.

At last aw gat up on the top o' sum sheds, Biv the help of an au'd crazy lether; An' ower the tops o' ten thousand folks' heads, Aw suen gat a gliff o' the blether.

D--mn, a blether aw call it! by gocks, aw am reet, For o' silk dipt iv leadeater melted It's myed of, an' Lord! what a wonderful seet, When the gun tell'd that it was _filated_.

'Twas just like the boiler at wor Bella Pit, O'er which were a great cabbage net, Which fasten'd, by a parcel of strings sae fit, A corf for the mannie to sit.

As aw sat at me ease aw cud hear a' the folk Gie their notions about the Balloon; Aw thowt aw shud brust when aw heurd their strange talk, Aboot the man's gaun to the moon.

Says yen, iv a whisper, Aw think aw hev heurd He is carryin a letter to Bonny, That's ower the sea to flee like a burd; The thowt, by my jinkers! was funny.

A chep wiv a fyece like a poor country b.u.mpkin, Sed he heurd, but may hap tisent true, That the thing whilk they saw was a great silken pumpkin By me eye, what a lilly-ba-loo!

Another said, Sadler (for that is the nyem O' the man) may pay dear for his frolic, When he's up iv the clouds (a stree for his fame!) His guts may have tw.a.n.gs of the cholic.