Wp/nth/Blaydon Races

Thi Blaydon Races is a Northumbrian foak sang. The sang itsel gans back te the 19th century an hes sin becam the myest weel-knawn Northumbrian foak sang. The sang is offins thowt ov as the unofficial regional anthem o Tyneside, but hes been used as an unofficial anthem for the Historic Coonties o Northumberland an Durham an aa, wi the sang bein used bi byeth the Coonty Cricket Teams an the twe Coonty Regiments (Durham Leet Infantry an Northumberland Fussiliers).

The sang is written i the Geordie dialect o Northumbrian wiv a smaa amoont ov influence frae Standard Inglish, sic as two for twe, bridge for brig an eyes for een; an the loss o the Northren Subject Rule.

Lyrics

 * Ah me lads, ye shud hae seen us gannin,
 * We pass'd the foaks alang the road just as they wor stannin;
 * Thor wes lots o lads an lassies there, aal wi smiling faces,
 * Gannin alang the Scotswood Road, te see the Blaydon Races.


 * We flew past Airmstrang's factory, an up te the "Robin Adair",
 * Just gannin doon te the railway bridge, the 'bus wheel flew off there.
 * The lassies lost their crinolines off, an' the veils that hide their faces,
 * An aw got two black eyes an a broken nose gannin te Blaydon Races.

(owerword)


 * When we gat the wheel put on away we went agyen,
 * But them that hed their noses brok they cam back ower hyem;
 * Sum went te the Dispensary an uthers te Doctor Gibbs,
 * An sum sowt oot the Informary te mend their broken ribs.

(owerword)


 * Noo when we gat te Paradise thor wes bonny gam begun;
 * Thor wes fower-an-twenty on the 'bus, man, hoo they danced an' sung;
 * They caaled on me te sing a sang, aw sung them "Paddy Fagan",
 * Aw danced a jig an swung maw twig that day aw went te Blaydon.

(owerword)


 * We flew across the Chain Bridge reet inte Blaydon toon,
 * The bellman he wes caalin there, they caal him Jackie Broon;
 * Aw saw him tawkin te sum cheps, an them he wes pursuadin
 * Te gan an see Geordy Ridley's concert in the Mechanics' Haal at Blaydon.

(chorus)


 * The rain it poor'd aal the day an myed the groons quite muddy,
 * Coffy Johnny hed a white hat on – they war shootin "Whe stole the cuddy."
 * There wes spice staals an munkey shows an aud wives selling ciders,
 * An a chep wiv a hawpenny roond aboot, shootin "Noo, me lads, for riders."

(owerword)