The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #88081   Message #1649582
Posted By: GUEST,Reg
16-Jan-06 - 12:24 PM
Thread Name: Lyr ADD: New Bell Wake
Subject: Lyr Add: NORTON NEW BELL WAKE
Hope this helps:

NORTON NEW BELL WAKE

Kings Norton raised at last my friend, a new bell in the steeple,
The ringers thought they'd make amends by rousing up the people,
One morn, you know, before cockcrow, so stoutly they set ringing,
It was to make a new bell wake, they gave the bells a swinging.

CHORUS: They banged each bell, & rang so well
So true their parts did take
From morn till night, was loud delight
At Norton new bell wake.

The Beadle led, Sam Parsonage did the second bell make sing,
Wrencher Jim the third pulled in, the fourth Will Collins did ring
Will Dipple fifth, Ben Adkins sixth, chimed in his bell so merry,
Bob Mason was seventh, and the tenor bell was rattled in by Jerry.

And then they drunk at such a rate, they'd nearly spent their store,
There was only tuppence on the plate, and they could raise no more,
In came the warden at that time, behaved so mighty well.
Oh, what a shout! When he turned out two shillings for each bell!

Then at night, oh what a sight there was on Norton Green.
Oh what a squall at Osbourne's stall, they fired her magazine.
The crackers flew, and serpents too made all the town to shake,
And they thought so civil, the very devil had come to keep bell wake.

FINAL CHORUS: It was crack and fizz, and smack and whiz,
And the cakes again they did bake.
The powder stunk, and all got drunk,
At Norton new bell wake!

Mines a pint!

Cheers

Reg