ADD: Drunken/Drucken Bella Roy

Subject: Lyr Req: Drunken Bella Roy
From: GUEST,Singer Dave
Date: 20 Aug 15 - 01:57 PM

Looking for the lyrics re the above song, can anyone help please.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drunken Bella Roy
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 20 Aug 15 - 04:54 PM

Allan's Tyneside Songs p335
Lloyd 1st ed. Come All ye Bold Miners, p111
More Songs from the Ian Campbell Group, p10 with tune

Tune is 'Duncan M'Callaghan' Written by Nunn.

If it's not in the DT and no-one posts it soon I'll search it out and add it here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drunken Bella Roy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Aug 15 - 05:18 PM

Conrad Bladey has posted two songs that mention Bella Roy:

• Lucky's Dream
• Euphy's Coronation

Are either of those the song you're seeking?
I don't find it in my copy of Come All Ye Bold Miners, but mine's not a first edition.
Not in the Traditional Ballad Index, either.

Here's a recording of the song by a group called "Tramps and Hawkers"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLcohQvKUE

Not clear enough for me to transcribe. I'm far better with Midwestern U.S. English...

-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Drunken/Drucken Bella Roy
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 21 Aug 15 - 01:01 PM

Allan's Tyneside Songs:

DRUCKEN BELLA ROY

When Bella's cumin hyem at neet,
An' as she's walkin doon the street,
The bairns cry oot, "Whe pawned the sheet?
    Wey, Drucken Bella Roy, O!"

            Ch
            Then styens te them gans rattlin, rattlin,
            They a' set off a gallopin, gallopin,
            Legs an airms gans wallopin, wallopin,
                For fear o' Bella Roy, O!

Noo, when she's gannin throo the chares,
The bairns begins an shoots an blairs,
An cries, as she gans up the stairs,
    "Where's Drucken Bella Roy, O!"

Noo, if she's had a sup o' beer,
She sets te wark te curse an sweer,
An myeks them run away for fear,
      Frae Drucken Bella Roy, O!

Then in the hoose she sits an chats,
The bairns then hits her door such bats--
She calls them a' the dorty cats,
      Dis Drucken Bella Roy, O!

She'll myek the place like thunner ring,
An down the stairs her things will fling,
An cry, "Get oot, ye plagey thing,"
      Cries Drucken Bella Roy, O!

She shoots until she hurts her head,
An then she's forc'd te gan te bed,
Which is a piece o' straw, doon spread
      For Drucken Bella Roy, O!

I'm pretty certain Johnny Handle recorded it but whether on a solo album or a High Level Ranters one I don't know. Googling 'Drucken Bella Roy, O' should find that out easily enough. I've heard Johnny sing it on numerous occasions.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drunken Bella Roy
From: GUEST,Singer Dave
Date: 22 Aug 15 - 01:07 PM

Thanks a lot Steve, appreciate that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drunken Bella Roy
From: Reinhard
Date: 22 Aug 15 - 02:20 PM

The Ian Campbell Folk Group sang Drunken Bella Roy on their 1965 album Coaldust Ballads. Their sleeve notes said "Words by the blind fiddler Robert Nunn (1808-1853). Tune by Ian Campbell."

Subject: Lyr Add: DRUCKEN BELLA ROY, O!
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Aug 15 - 05:03 PM

A couple more verses, from Newcastle Songster, No. 3, New Series (Newcastle: W. & T. Fordyce, [1835?]), page 9:


DRUCKEN BELLA ROY, O!
Tune—"Duncan M'Callaghan."

[Verses 1-3 and chorus are substantially the same as above]

[4] Believe me, frinds, these are her words—
She says, Get hyem, ye w——'s birds,
Else awl bray ye as flat as t——s.
Cries Drucken Bella Roy, O!

[5] She says, ye have a w——e at hyem,
And if ye'll not let me alyen,
Maw faith, aw'll break your rumple byen,
Says drucken Bella Roy, O!

[Verses 6-8 are substantially the same as above.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Drunken/Drucken Bella Roy
From: GUEST
Date: 18 May 24 - 03:22 AM

Does anyone know the origins of this song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Drunken/Drucken Bella Roy
From: GUEST
Date: 18 May 24 - 05:56 AM

Ah, found it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan%27s_Illustrated_Edition_of_Tyneside_Songs_and_Readings

written by Robert Nunn

Subject: ADD Version: Drucken Bella Roy, O!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 May 24 - 10:49 PM

Here's the Roud entry on the song: https://archives.vwml.org/songs/RoudBS/B181613

Here's the broadside: http://ballads.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/view/f2911560-e528-4cb8-b922-19a2d967bd9a/

DRUCKEN BELLA ROY
Tune—"Duncan M'Callaghan."

When Bella's cumin hyem at neet,
An' as she's walkin doon the street,
The bairns cries out, "Whe pawned the sheet?
    Wey, Drucken Bella Roy, O!"

CHORUS
            Then styens te them gans rattlin', rattlin',
            They a' set off a gallopin', gallopin',
            Legs an' arms gans wallopin', wallopin',
                For fear o' Bella Roy, O!

Now, when she gans through the chares,
The bairns begins and shoots and blairs,
And cries, as she gans up the stairs,
   "Where's Drucken Bella Roy, O!"

Now, if she's had a sup o' beer,
She sets ti wark ti curse an swear,
And myeks them run away for fear,
      Fra Drucken Bella Roy, O!

Believe me, frinds, these are her words—
She says, Get hyem, ye w——'s birds,
Else awl bray ye as flat as t——s.
Cries Drucken Bella Roy, O!

She says, ye have a w——e at hyem,
And if ye'll not let me alyen,
Maw faith, aw'll break your rumple byen,
Says drucken Bella Roy, O!

She'll myek the place like thunner ring,
And down the stairs her things will fling,
And cry, Get out, you (plagey) thing,
Cries Drucken Bella Roy, O!

Then in the house she sits and chats,
The bairns then hits her door such bats--
She calls them a' the hellish cats,
      Dis Drucken Bella Roy, O!

She shouts until she hurts her head,
An then she's forc'd to gan ti bed,
Which is a piece o' straw, down spread
      For Drucken Bella Roy, O!

Subject: RE: ADD: Drunken/Drucken Bella Roy
From: GUEST
Date: 19 May 24 - 10:57 AM

Thanks, Joe.

Funny that neither source gives the name of the writer of the lyrics - Robert Nunn according to Allan's Tyneside Songs. And from what I can tell it seems that the tune is lost...