THE CANNY PORTER POKEMAN

TEUN- "I comeFrom sweet Killarney."

SAYS Peg, "Maw Jim's a canny lad,
As canny as can be,
An' thor's not a porter pokeman
Says owt else on the Kee ;
He works as hard as ony man,
An' spends his brass as free:
Aw cuddent like anuther lad,
He thinks se much 0' me.

Korus.

He's a nobby porter pokeman on the Keeside,
An' frae Blaydon reet doon te the sea-side,
Thor's not one that's better spoken
Then me canny porter pokeman,
An' he's just the sort 0' lad te follow me.

He carries loads wad brik the back
Ov ony uther man,
An' mony a time he briks a heed
He nail'd me uncle Dan
For sayin that he wassent gud
Eneuff te marry me,
Becawse aw've kept an oringe stall
Se lang upon the Kee.

They say he's ower fond 0' Nell
That sells the fish doon by ;
A' they sweer that at sum barmaid
He alwayswinks his eye;
But if the barmaid fancies him,
He'd nivvor want his beer,
For aw knaw if he's ivor short,
Aw always find him here.

Thor's not a couple that ye see
Can dance like him an' me,
We knockt about a duzzin ower
One neet at Thomson's tea;
He likes his gill, an' so div aw,
An' when wor on the spree,
Aw'd like te see a duzzin try
Te knock doon him an' me.

Aw'd like te see him marry me,
If not it's just the syem,
Aw waddent fall oot wiv him
If he diddent change me nyern;
As lang as he'sel dissent change,
He's gud eneuff for me,
Nebody hes owt te de wid,
Maw pride's upon the Kee."

-Source: Joe Wilson, (author) Songs and Drolleries, 1890