Here's another song you may hear from Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman. Fentiman sings it solo on their Constant Lovers CD. The tune is the same as Liverpool Lullaby, that Judy Collins recorded on her In My Life album. Also look at Do-Li-A, which uses the same tune. The lyrics seem unrelated, although "Sandgate" appears in both. These lyrics are from Mudcatter Conrad Bladey's Website. The lyrics Fentiman sings seem to be a bit more modern. The Fentiman recording credits Robert Nunn as the songwriter - I take it Nunn is the editor of the Newcastle Song Book.-Joe Offer-
SANDGATE WIFE'S NURSE SONG
Tune- A sailor's Wife has nought to dee.A, U, A, my bonny bairn,
A, U, A, upon my airm,
A,U,A,--thou suin may learn
To say dadda se canny;
Aw wish thy daddy may be weel,
He's lang i' coming frae the keel;
Tho' his black fyesce be like the de'il,
Aw like a kiss frae Johnny.Chorus-
A,U,A&c.Thou really hast thy daddy's chin,
Thou art like him leg and wing,
And aw wi' pleasure can thee sing,
Since thou belangs my Johnny.
Johnny is a clever lad--
Last neet he fuddled aw he had,
This morn he wasn't very bad--
He luik'd as blithe as ony.Tho' thou's the first, thou's not the last;
Aw mean to hae my bairns fast--
And when this happy time is past,
Aw still will love my Johnny;
For his hair is brown, and see is thine,
Your eyes are grey, and sae are mine,
Thy nose is taper'd off se fine--
Thou's like thy daddy Johnny.Thy canny doup is flat and round,
And, like thy dad, thou's plump and sound,
Thou's worth to me a thousand pound,
Thou's a' together bonny.
When daddy's drunk, he'll tyek a knife,
And threaten sair to tyek my life:
Whe wad not be a keelman's wife,
To have a man like Johnny.But yonder's daddy coming now,
He luiks the best amang the crew;
They're a' gaun to the Barley-mow,
My canny, godlike Johnny.
Come, let's go get the bacon fried,
And let us make a clean fire-side,
Then on his knee he will thee ride,
When he comes hyem to mammy.-Nunn -In: The Newcastle Song Book or
Tyne-Side Songster., W&T Fordyce
Newcastle Upon Tyne.^^