The songs of the Wilsons With a memoir of the Family, and several additional songs never before published. Edited by John Harland |
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JOHNNY GREEN'S TRIP FRO' OWDAM TO SEE THE LIVERPOOL RAILWAY. |
 | The songs of the Wilsons |  |
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JOHNNY GREEN'S TRIP FRO' OWDAM TO SEE THE LIVERPOOL RAILWAY.
By Mr Alexander Wilson.
Last New Year's Day eawr Nan hoo said,
“Why, John, we 'n bin nar two year wed;
An' sin the day to th' church aw 'r led,
Theaw ne'er wur th' chap to treat one;
A whoam this day aw winnow stay,
Theaw 'd ha' one t' warch [work] an' never play,
Aw 'r forc't to say theaw 'st see th' railway,
So bless thee, don naw fret, mon.”
“Why, John, we 'n bin nar two year wed;
An' sin the day to th' church aw 'r led,
Theaw ne'er wur th' chap to treat one;
A whoam this day aw winnow stay,
Theaw 'd ha' one t' warch [work] an' never play,
Aw 'r forc't to say theaw 'st see th' railway,
So bless thee, don naw fret, mon.”
Aw took an' sowd meh seawkink pig,
For ready brass to Billy Brigg,
An' loos't meh jacket just to rig
Mehsell i' deasunt fettle;
Eawr Nan buck't up i' th' best hoo could,
An' off we pegg'd through Hollinwood,
O'er Newton Yeoth, past th' Robin Hood,
An stop't at th' Creawn and Kettle.
For ready brass to Billy Brigg,
An' loos't meh jacket just to rig
Mehsell i' deasunt fettle;
Eawr Nan buck't up i' th' best hoo could,
An' off we pegg'd through Hollinwood,
O'er Newton Yeoth, past th' Robin Hood,
An stop't at th' Creawn and Kettle.
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We seed sich lots o' jerry shops,
Boh we 'd na stay to drink their slops,
Eend-way we went an' made no stops,
An' just i' toime we nick'd um;
For helter-skelter sich a crew,
Wurn comink in fro' Liverpoo;
Aw 'm shure they could no faster goo,
If th' devil i' hell had kick'd um.
Boh we 'd na stay to drink their slops,
Eend-way we went an' made no stops,
An' just i' toime we nick'd um;
For helter-skelter sich a crew,
Wurn comink in fro' Liverpoo;
Aw 'm shure they could no faster goo,
If th' devil i' hell had kick'd um.
Aw sheawted eawt an' whirl'd meh hat,
An' whizz they coom wi' sich a bat,
Aw run so hard, an' puff'd, an' swat,
Boh aw could naw keep wi' th' waggins:
When th' engians stop an' seet 'um deawn,
Aw wondurt wheer they aw wur beawn,
They rode i' callyvans to th' teawn,
Aw think to get their baggins.
An' whizz they coom wi' sich a bat,
Aw run so hard, an' puff'd, an' swat,
Boh aw could naw keep wi' th' waggins:
When th' engians stop an' seet 'um deawn,
Aw wondurt wheer they aw wur beawn,
They rode i' callyvans to th' teawn,
Aw think to get their baggins.
They coom aw 'm shure, 'ot leost aw guess,
A hundert mile i' th' heawr or less;
Neaw, Ben, theaw laughs and winks at Bess,
Becose theaw thinks aw 'm loyink.
Theaw seed th' balloon fro' Sawfort goo,
Theaw seed folk run deawn Tinker's Broo;
Boh it bangs 'um aw, an' races too,
For, ecod, its next to floyink.
A hundert mile i' th' heawr or less;
Neaw, Ben, theaw laughs and winks at Bess,
Becose theaw thinks aw 'm loyink.
Theaw seed th' balloon fro' Sawfort goo,
Theaw seed folk run deawn Tinker's Broo;
Boh it bangs 'um aw, an' races too,
For, ecod, its next to floyink.
We seed tat coach 'ot Wellington
An' aw th' great folk one day coom on,
They 'n show it thee, or ony mon,
An' tell thee aw if t' axes.
Eawr Nan said tey 'd ha' sarv't him reet
To ha' dragg'd him on through dry and weet,
For hoo 'd a ridden him day an' neight,
If he 'd naw teyn off some taxes.
An' aw th' great folk one day coom on,
They 'n show it thee, or ony mon,
An' tell thee aw if t' axes.
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To ha' dragg'd him on through dry and weet,
For hoo 'd a ridden him day an' neight,
If he 'd naw teyn off some taxes.
Boath Nan an' me to roide had ment,
Boh th' brass, ye seen, wurn welly spent,
So straightway up Knott Mill we went,
An' at th' soign o' th' Railway baited;
We coom by th' Star i' Deansgate too,
Boh th' coachmen theer look'd wofu' blue,
Aw 'm sure their jaws han nowt to do,
Sin th' Liverpoo Railway gaited [begun.]
Boh th' brass, ye seen, wurn welly spent,
So straightway up Knott Mill we went,
An' at th' soign o' th' Railway baited;
We coom by th' Star i' Deansgate too,
Boh th' coachmen theer look'd wofu' blue,
Aw 'm sure their jaws han nowt to do,
Sin th' Liverpoo Railway gaited [begun.]
We stopt to see that noice clock-case,
Let up wi' gas i' th' Firmary place,
A chap coom smokink i' meh face,
An puff'd meh een up fairly.
Says Nan, “Theaw 'd best naw do 't agen;”
Aw gripp'd meh fist, an' luk thee, Ben,
If aw 'd boh had me clogs just then,
Aw 'd ha' purr'd his ribs, O rarely.
Let up wi' gas i' th' Firmary place,
A chap coom smokink i' meh face,
An puff'd meh een up fairly.
Says Nan, “Theaw 'd best naw do 't agen;”
Aw gripp'd meh fist, an' luk thee, Ben,
If aw 'd boh had me clogs just then,
Aw 'd ha' purr'd his ribs, O rarely.
We coom straight whoam, geet th' choilt to bed,
Aw fotch'd some beer fro' th' owd Nag Yead,
Whoile Nan reach'd eawt some beef an' bread,
An' eh! how wea mow'd away, mon!
Its rare proime ale, and drinks loike rum,
One point o' that 's worth two o' some;
Aw had na quoite three quarts, by gum,
Boh meh yead warch'd [ached] aw th' next day, mon.
Aw fotch'd some beer fro' th' owd Nag Yead,
Whoile Nan reach'd eawt some beef an' bread,
An' eh! how wea mow'd away, mon!
Its rare proime ale, and drinks loike rum,
One point o' that 's worth two o' some;
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Boh meh yead warch'd [ached] aw th' next day, mon.
Aw yeard me uncle Nathan say,
They 're goink to mak a new railway
Fro' Manchester to Owdam, eh!
Aw wish it warn boh gaited;
For weavers then to th' wareheause soon,
Will ta'e their cuts by twelve at noon,
Besoide th' saveation o' their shoon,
They 'll noan so oft get bated.
They 're goink to mak a new railway
Fro' Manchester to Owdam, eh!
Aw wish it warn boh gaited;
For weavers then to th' wareheause soon,
Will ta'e their cuts by twelve at noon,
Besoide th' saveation o' their shoon,
They 'll noan so oft get bated.
There 's weary wark, aw understand,
They 're burkink deaud folk all o'er th' lond,
What 's wur, th' Reform Bill 's at a stond,
An' th' cholera 's coom by th' mail road.
They 'n feort eawr Nan to deaoth these chaps,
Hoo says, “Eh! John, aw 'll wesh meh caps;
Do thee lay deawn thea looms an' traps,
We 'n cut eawr stick by th' railroad.”
They 're burkink deaud folk all o'er th' lond,
What 's wur, th' Reform Bill 's at a stond,
An' th' cholera 's coom by th' mail road.
They 'n feort eawr Nan to deaoth these chaps,
Hoo says, “Eh! John, aw 'll wesh meh caps;
Do thee lay deawn thea looms an' traps,
We 'n cut eawr stick by th' railroad.”
Aw allus said, an' yo known it too,
No mon could tell whot steeum 'ud do;
An' if to th' Owdfielt Lone yo 'll goo,
Yo 'll find aw 'm noan misteaken.
Aw knaw naw whot eawr Nan 'll say,
Aw ne'er struck stroke this blessed day:
It 's dinner-time, an' if aw stay,
Hoo 'll eat aw th' beeuns an' beacon!
No mon could tell whot steeum 'ud do;
An' if to th' Owdfielt Lone yo 'll goo,
Yo 'll find aw 'm noan misteaken.
Aw knaw naw whot eawr Nan 'll say,
Aw ne'er struck stroke this blessed day:
It 's dinner-time, an' if aw stay,
Hoo 'll eat aw th' beeuns an' beacon!
| The songs of the Wilsons | |