The Chinese Sailors in Newcastle

John Chinaman hes cum te spy
Wor canny Northern toon,
Wi flatten'd fyece, an' funny eye,
An' skin ov olive broon,
An' stumpy feet, an' lang pig-tails,
An' claes o' clooty blue,
Alang wor street he slawly trails,
Just like a live yule doo.

Chorus
John Chinaman, John Chinaman,
What hev ye cum te see?
What de ye think o' wor toon lads?
Hoo de ye like wor Quay?

Hev ye been to the Market yit,
Wor cabbages te see,
Or "get a puddin' nice an' het,"
Or hev a cup o' tea?
Or hev ye been te th' cutleer's there
Te get yor-sel a knife,
Or stroll'd th' length o' filly fair
To choose yor-sel a wife?

John Chinaman, etc.

Or hev ye had a swagger doon
By mosley Street at neet,
An' watched them myek th' bonny meun
Wiv Swan's Electric Leet?
Or hev ye been te Law's place,
An' smiled yor biggest laff,
An' let yor pigtail hing wi' grace,
Te get yor photygraff?

John Chinaman, etc.

Or hev ye been te Barka's
The bicycles te try,
An' show'd th' Quayside marquises,
Like them yor rethor "fly"?
Or hev ye been te see th' shops
Te spend yor English tin,
An' as th' money frae ye drops,
Suspect yor tek'n in?

jJohn Chinaman, etc.

Or hev ye had a ridy-pide
Inside a Tramway Car,
Wi' grinnin' fyeuls at every side
A' wunderin' what ye are?
Or hev ye bowt a big-ci-ga',
An' tried to myek it leet,
An' gyen an' deun the La-di-da,
Alang by Grainger Street?

John Chinaman, etc.

Then trail alang, John Chinaman,
Amang the crood ov bairns,
An' touchy tyest all ye can,
For that's th' way one lairns;
But, mind, beware o' cheeky lass,
An' whisky, John, and beer,
For if ye tyek an extra glass,
Oh, John, 'twill cost ye dear!

John Chinaman, etc.

If ye shud tyek a drop ower much,
An' it gets in yor eye,
An' ye get I' wor bobby's clutch,
By sangs, he'llmyek ye cry-
He'll tyek ye up before the "chief,"
An' though yor skin be broon,
An' ye be neither rogue nor thief,
He'll fine ye haaf-a-croon.

John Chinaman, etgc.

But ye'll heve seen, John Chinaman,
Barbarious English cheps
Disgrace the varry nyem ov men,'
Th' blackguard jackanyeps!
Should ony drucken cudy, John,
Dar smite ye in the gob,
We'll let ye break a saucer, John,
An' fine him forty bob.

John Chinaman, etc.

John Chinaman, John Chinaman,
Dressed in yor suit ov blue,
Ye've cum te see John Englishman,
'An' axee-how-he-doo.
Yor welcome here, John Chinaman,
Te buy yor guns an' ships,
An' if ye bring yor munny, John,
Ye'll find us jolly chips.

-John Chinaman, etc.

James Horsley, 1881

In 1881, at Armstrong's a war vessel was built for the Chinese Government, and some hundreds of Chinese sailors came to Newcastle as her crew. The song describes