The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #3265   Message #1058270
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
21-Nov-03 - 12:04 AM
Thread Name: Byker Hill: background info anyone?
Subject: RE: Byker Hill: background info anyone?
The version by Jeri is the one on the Byker Hill album. A slightly different one was offered by Carthy and Swarbrick in the Life and Limb album- but the only real difference is a new verse in the latter:

The pitman and the keelman trim
To the dance they do begin
They drink bumble made from gin
They dance the Elsie Marley

Other changes:
Byker Hill                                 
Geordie Johnson had a pig
And he hit it with a shovel and it danced a jig   
All the way to Byker Hill            
He danced the Elsie Marley

Life and Limb
-----
All the way to Walker Shore
To the tune of Elsie Marley

*The poor coal carter gets two shillings ---gets a shilling

*Both a carter and a cutter required in coal operation- which is it? The way Carthy sings, it is hard to tell. Cutter at a guess but someone with an ear for Carthy needs to decide.

Jeri (Carthy) and Malcolm (Lloyd) have done the work and their posted versions are both needed. Use the Byker Hill version given by Jeri but with note giving the different verse in the Carthy-Swarbrick version? To the Lloyd version, add a link to "My Dearie Sits ...".