Dougie, I wasn't sure whether you were able to decipher the Durham dialect or not. You usually have to be born in Durham to understand it so I have written the song in dialect with phonetic pronunciation followed by a version in plain English, which will probably be handy for any singers in the U.S.A. It was orly in Novemba, Ah niver will forget The polises an the candy men at Oakey's hooses met Johnny the bellman he was there squinting roond aboot He put three men on ivory hoose te torn the pitmen oot CHORUS: Oh, what wad a dee if aw'd the poower mesel Aw wad hing the twenty candymen an Johnny we carries the bell There they went from hoose te hoose an put things on the road But mind they didn’t hort theorsells wi liftin' heavy loads Some wid carry the poker oot the fender or the rake But if they carried two at once, it was a great mistake Some of these dandy candymen was dressed up like a cloon Some had hats wivoot a flype and some wivoot a croon Some had ne laps upon their coats but there was one chap warse 'Cos ivory time he had te stoop the wind blew up his arse There was one chap had ne sleevs or buttons on his coat Another had a bairnies hippin lapped aroond his throat One chap wore a pair of breeks that belanged tiv a boy One leg was a sort o tweed the uther was cordyroy Next there comes the maisters aw think they shud think shem Deprivin wives an familys of a comfortable hyem But when they shift fre where they live aw hope they gan te hell Alang wi the twenty candymen an Johnny that carries the bell Non-Dialect Version It was early in November I never will forget The polises and the candymen at Oakey's houses met Johnny the bellman he was there squinting round about He put three men on every house to turn the pitmen out CHORUS: Oh what would I do if I had the power myself I would hang the twenty candymen and Johnny who carries the bell There they went from house to house to put things on the road But mind they didn't hurt themselves with lifting heavy loads Some would carry the poker out the fender or the rake But if they carried two at once, it was a great mistake Some of these dandy candymen were dressed up like a clown Some had hats without a peak and some without a crown Some had no lapels upon their coat but there was one chap worse 'Cos every time he had to stoop the wind blew up his arse There was one chap had no sleeves nor buttons on his coat Another had a bairn's hippin wrapped around his throat One chap had a pair of breeks that belonged to a boy One leg was a sort of tweed the other was cordyroy Next, there comes the masters I think they should think shame Depriving wives and families of a comfortable home But when they move from where they live I hope they go to hell Along with the twenty candymen and Johnny who carries the bell Polises....Police Candymen... Bailiffs henchmen hired in for their ability to use force if need be. Their usual job was rag and bone men or scrap metal merchants who used to give sweets or candy to children in exchange for rags or scrap, hence the name candymen Bellman...The Bailiff Squinting... Looking around, being nosey Bairnies Hippen...Childs nappy or diaper Breeks.. Pants Maisters.. the mine owners Poker.. Iron tool used to move coals in a fire Fender..Surround for a fireplace Rake..Iron tool used to pull out ashes and dust when cleaning a fireplace The events occurred during the 1885 stoppage in the North West Durham coalfield when striking miners could be evicted from their mine-owned houses. Tommy Armstrong wrote this song as a duel with another miner poet William Maguire in the Red Row Public House Tantoby. Maguire's song is long forgotten.
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