Aw Wish Pay Friday Wad Cum

Tune- "Aw wish yor Muther wada cum."

'Twas last pay Friday efterneun aw went an' drew my pay,
And, like a fyeul, unto the skeul aw surely bent maw way;
Aw suen lost all my money, and aw stood till aw was numb,
Then away aw went hyem, and wish'd te myself that next pay Friday wad cum.

When aw went hyem an' teld my wife, she nearly broke her heart;
She says, "Maw lad, such wark as this is sure te myek us part;
Aw wadn't cared if thou'd cum'd drunk wi' strang beer, whisky, or rum;
Aw wad tyen the rest, and dyen my best till another pay Friday wad cum.

Then she sobb'd an' sigh'd, and the bairns all cried, and aw was varry bad;
A confused house, and a woman's abuse, is enough to drive a man mad;
Aw knew varry weel what caus'd it all, so aw sat as if aw was dumb,
To speak aw was flaid, so nought aw said, but aw wish'd pay Friday wad cum.

The grocer, and butcher, and shoemaker tee, they all cam' smilin' in,
But what was maw poor wife to dee but tell them she had ne tin?
Their smiles was all torn'd into frowns, it nearly struck them dumb;
And when they went oot, aw couldn't say nought, but aw wish'd pay Friday wad cum.

On Saturday morn to be oot o' the way, aw took mysel off to the town,
But hevvin' ne brass to set me in, had to wander up and down;
Aw met mony a ken'd feyce in the street, but they all appeared to be dumb,
And all the way hyem aw sang te mysel, aw wish pay Friday wad cum.

On Sunday morn, when aw got up,-the sun se bright did shine,
There was nought provided in the house to break wor fast or dine;
The bairns was crying oot for broth and a greet marrow-byen made some;
They myed the house ring wi' tryin' to sing, aw wish pay Friday wad cum.

On Monday morn the miller cam'd in, my wife began to cry,
He said if he couldn't get his tin, he wad surely stop the supply!
Aw's proud to remark that aw was at wark, and oot o the way o' the hum,
And all the whole day aw was singing away, aw wish pay Friday wad cum.

We had nought to eat, neither taties nor meat, and the bairns was crying for breed,
My wife was freetin' away er life, and aw wish'd that aw was deed;
My bran new suit had to gan up the spoot, it's a regular practice with some,
But not a good plan for a hard-working man,- so aw wish pay Friday wad cum.

But next pay Friday, aw'll lay my life, aw'll not be such a fyeul,
Aw'll tyek my pay strite hyem to my wife, I'stead of gannin to skeul,
Aw'll treat mysel wiv a glass of good yell, and my wife wiv a good glass of rum,
And aw'll give her the rest, to manage her best, so aw wish pay Friday wad cum.

-Anderson, 1872

The author, a Northumbrian miner, is celebrated as the winner of several prizes for local compositions-Note, 1872. "Pay Friday" won the prize in the Weekly Chronicle competition of 1870. To this competition Joe Wilson sent "Wor Geordy's Local Hist'ry.". It missed the proze, but got honourable mention. Mr. Anderson still follows his occupation of a miner at Elswick.