Lyr/Tune/Chords Req: Cat-Gut Jim the Fiddler

Subject: Lyr. Tune & Chord req. Catgut Jim
From: GUEST,Kernow Jon
Date: 18 Feb 01 - 03:53 AM

I was lucky enough to see Pauline Cato and Tom McConville at the club last night what a talented and entertaining pair and two lovely people.
Tom sang a song called Catgut Jim can anyone help with words, tune chords etc.
Regards KJ

Subject: RE: Lyr. Tune & Chord req. Catgut Jim
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 18 Feb 01 - 04:47 AM

no sorry, I just saw the title and thought I have heard Tom McConville singing that !

Subject: RE: Lyr. Tune & Chord req. Catgut Jim
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 18 Feb 01 - 05:02 AM

....you could try asking Tom, there is an email contact for him at Tomcat Music
the tour dates are on there too, they are here in sheffield this tuesday teatime

Roger

Subject: Lyr Add: CAT-GUT JIM THE FIDDLER (Edward Corvan)
From: bill\sables
Date: 18 Feb 01 - 11:17 AM

CAT-GUT JIM THE FIDDLER
(Edward (Ned) Corvan)
Tune " And sae will we yet"

Aw'm Cat-gut Jim, the fiddler, a man o' greet renoon,
Aw play te myek me livin,lads, in country an I' toon;
Tiv ivery fair an' ivery feast wi' maw fiddle aw repair:
Gox! Where theor's ony fun or sport thou's sure te fynd me there.

Chorus;
For aw drive away dull care, aw drive away dull care,
So patronise poor Cat-gut Jim when ye've ony cash te spare.

Aw'll play ye ony tuen ye like, aw'll play ye "Cheer boys cheer."
Or te try an' keep your spirits up, aw'll play the " Drop o' Beer,"
The "Deevil amang the Tailors" "Peggy Pickin doon the Shore"
The "Lass that loves a Sailor" an' mony a dozen more.

Aw play "Mary Blane" an "Lucy Neal" wi "Poor old Uncle Ned,"
"O! Nanny, wilt thou gang wi me," "Scots wha hae wi Wallace bled";
Aw play "McCloud's" reel beautiful, "What are ye gawn te stand?"
The "Keel Row," shaken a' te rags o'er this happy unhappy land.

Cat Gut Jim's real name was Edward Corvan who was born in 1830 in Liverpool of Irish decent. At the age of four his parents brought him to Newcastle. His father died when he was seven and his mother brought him up as best she could. Times were very hard in those days without a father and in many of Corvan's songs he describes his childhood.
When he was sent to work he trained as a sail maker and frequented the local "Victoria" Music Hall which was then visited by Blind Billy Purvis. He so much enjoyed Blind Billy's show that he decided the acting life was for him and left his sail making job. He joined Billy's troupe and played violin in the orchestra, sang comic and local songs, and did a bit of scene painting for a few years. He was never really a big attraction until he sang "He Wad Be A Noodle" and this made his name. Ned was now about twenty and became an important person in Billy's company.
About this time the "Olympic" Music Hall opened and he left Billy to join the Olympic company where he was very successful. He was the first person to combine the singing and song writing of Tyneside songs as a profession and added to their attraction by singing them in character. After some years in this life he settled in South Shields as a publican and proprietor of "Corvan's Music Hall in Wapping Street but he liked his glass too much and after three years returned to his local singing..
Ned was a good singer and an excellent performer on Violin and would occupy the stage for well over half an hour with his song, music, patter, and chalking portraits on a blackboard, till his thirst reminded him it was time to get off. One of his character pieces was of a mother searching for her son "Wor Jimmy" in "Fire on the Kee" and "Cullercoats Fish Lass", but he is remembered most as his portrayal of "Cat-gut Jim" the fiddler.
Towards the latter part of his life his voice failed and he had to rely more on his violin and drawings.
Joe Wilson, who was just starting by this time wrote a tribute to Corvan :

Comic iv iv'rything –clivor at owt.
Ov a' the professions – stickin at nowt
Real witty; as poet an' singer at hyem.
Versatile Artiste, wes Corvan's reet nyem.
As a painter, a fiddler, comedian, cloon,
Ned was the maister ov all iv the toon.

Not long after Joe Wilson appeared Ned Corvan's health, which had been failing, grew worse and after a three-month illness he died at his home in Newgate Street Newcastle on 31st of August 1865 in his thirty fifth year.
Some of his other songs included;<>br> The Caller
He Wad Be A Noodle
The Toon Improvement Bill
Thr Rise in Coals
The Pitmans Farewell
Tommy Carr's Letter
Cullercoats Fish Lass
Bobby the Boxer
Warkworth Feast
The Kippered Herrin'
Deeth O' Billy Purvis
The Greet Bull Dog O' Shields
The Fishermen Hung the Monkey O
The Comet
Chambers and White
The Deeth O' Cuckoo Jack
Wor Tyneside Champions
The Queen has Sent a Letter
Queens Visit to Cherbourg
Stage Struck Keelman
The Soop Kitchin
The High Level an' the Aud Bridge
and Cat Gut Jim The Fiddler

He followed this song with a lot of patter.
Cheers Bill

Subject: RE: Lyr. Tune & Chord req. Catgut Jim
From: GUEST,Kernow Jon
Date: 18 Feb 01 - 12:44 PM

Thanks Bill and Roger
It's great to have the lyrics but your taking the time to add all the rest has made my day.
Thanks again KJ

Subject: RE: Lyr. Tune & Chord req. Catgut Jim
From: bill\sables
Date: 18 Feb 01 - 04:49 PM

KJ.I have a drawing of Ned Corvan and a drawing of Ned playing the part of Cat-gut Jim, and also one of Billy Purvis if you want a copy I can email them to you. PM me with your email address
Bill

Subject: Lyr Add: Cat-Gut Jim, The Fiddler
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 01:03 PM

Cat-Gut Jim, The Fiddler

Tune-"And sae will we yet."

Aw'm Cat-gut Jim, the fiddler, a man o' greet renoon,
Aw play te myek me livin, lads, in country an' I' toon;
Tiv ivery fair an' ivery feast wi' maw fiddle aw repair:
Gox! where thor's ony fun or sport thou's sure to fynd me there.

Chorus
For aw drive away dull care, aw drive away dull care,
So patronise poor Cat-gut Jim when ye've only cash te spare.

Aw'll play ye ony tuen ye like, aw'll play ye "Cheer, boys, cheer,"
Or te try an' keep yor spirits up, aw'll play the "Drop o' Beer,"
The "Deevil amang the Tailors," "Peggy Pickin doon the shore."
The"Lass that loves a sailor," an' mony a dozen more.

For aw drive away, etc.

Aw play "Mary Blane," an' "Lucy Neal," wi' " Poor old Uncle Ned,"
"O! Nanny, wilt thou gang wi' me," "Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled";
Aw play "McCloud's" reel beautiful, "What are ye gawn te stand?"
The "Keel Row," shaken a' the rags o'er this happy, unhappy land.

Spoken- Ony thing, frev an elephant's trunk tiv a lucifer match-box. Uz street fiddlers fynds times queeer just noo-customers bad te fynd-but iv a' the customers aw meet gie me the sailors, them's the boys!-the bulwarks of owld England. Aw'm a sailor; ye can see by the cut o' me jib. Aw sarved me time to be a ship-owner aboard o' the Dredger-what a gun-boat the Dredger 'id myek-when they run short o' cannon-balls they cud fire coal-skuttles at the enemy. An' then they're always weel supplied wi' Newcastle amonishen-clarts. Aw knaw a vast aboot the sea, but the next time aw gan it'll be iv a cab. Yes, aw'll hev a luik at it. Still, aw'm fond o' sailors; when aw sees yen aw generally play "Far upon the Sea." (Play the tune named here..) When aw seen an Irishman- them's the boys, Hatre genus men- they'll gie ye tuppence if they hevent a fardin' I' thor pockets. Aw generally play them the "Exile of Erin" an' "Patrick's Day." One's full o' human nater, an' the other's full o' shillalahs an' life porsarvers- them's the things for layin a foundation for stickin plaister. (Plays the airs mentioned.) When aw see a Scotchman aw play "Auld Robin Gray" on the bagpipes, efter the style o' Sir Colin Campbell, "Ye Deil's Buckie." (Play here.) But when aw join the fishwives-them's the boys! aw play sthem "Pop goes the Weasel, " efter the style o' Sir Walter Raily when he tossed a chow o' bacy at Queen Elizabeth. (Plays.)

Chorus

For aw drive away dull care, aw drive away dull care,
So patronise poor Cat-gut Jim when ye've ony cash te spare.

-Corvan, 1862