Bold Archy & Blind Willie's Lament
On the Death of Captain Starkey.

What! is he gyen? Bold Airchy said,
And moungin' scratch'd his head--
O can sic waesome news be true?
Is Captain Starkey dead?

Aw's griev'd at heart--push round the can--
Seun empty frae wor hands we'll chuck it--
For now we'll drink wor last to him,
since he has fairly kick'd the bucket.

My good shag hat ne mair aw'll wave,
His canny fyace to see--
Wor bairns' bairns will sing o' him,
As Gilchrist sings o' me--

For O! he was a lad o' wax!
Aw've seen him blithe, an' often mellow--
He might hae faults, but, wi' them a',
We've seldom seen a better fellow.

Yen day they had me drown'd for fun,
Which myed the folks to blair;
Aw mysest could wish, for his dear sake,
That aw'd been drown'd for fair.

On monny a day when cannons roar,
Yen loyal heart will then be missin--
If there be yell, we'll toast his nyem--
If there be nyen, he'll get wor blissin.

Blind Willie then strumm'd up his kit
Wi' monny a weary drone,
Which Thropler, drunk, and Cuckoo Jack
Byeth answer'd wiv a groan.

Nice chep! poor chep! Blind Willie said--
My heart is pierc'd like onny riddle,
To think aw've liv'd to see him dead--
Aw never mair 'ill play the fiddle.

His gam is up, his pipe is out,
And fairly laid his craw--
His fame 'ill blaw about just like
Coal dust at Shiney-Raw.

He surely was a joker rare--
What times there'd been for a' the nation,
Had he but liv'd to be a Mayor,
The glory o' wor Corporation.

But he has gi'en us a' the slip,
And gyen for evermore--
Au'd Judy and Jack Coxon tee,
Has gyen awhile before--
And we maun shortly follow them,
An' tyek the bag, my worthy gentles--
Then what 'ill poor Newcassel dee,
Depriv'd of all her ornamentals!

We'll moralize-- for dowly thowts,
Are mair wor friends thatn foes--
For death, like when the tankard's out,
Brings a' things tiv a close.
May we like him, frae grief and toil,
When laid in peace beneath the hether--
Upon the last eternal shore,
A' happy, happy meet together!

R. Gilchrist-In: The Newcastle Song Book or Tyne-Side Songster., W&T Fordyce
Newcastle Upon Tyne.