THE CAT PIE Tommy Armstrong Tune, Weel Bred Cappy

Thore's been a grand dinnor not far frae Sheel Raw
At a place th'call Stanley for testen th'jaw
Tiv a hoose ivory Sunda' sum cheps used to gan
An' eat all th' meat thit wis boil i th' pan

CHORUS
Singin fal th' dal lay laddie,
fal th' dal lay laddie
fal th' dal lay laddie
fal th' lay

These cheps used te gan an' sit doon on a seat
Thae knew thit Jack alwis had plenty i meat
But Coxon an' Charlton went oot for te try
Te catch an awd cat for te muaik them a pie

Th' cat thit thae gat wis elivon eer awd
Thae knew w' th' pie thit these cheps wad be glad
So thae kill'd it, an clean'd it, an teuk off each lim
When th' pie wis awl riddy thae shoved pussy in

Th' cat being se awd thae thowt 'twad be dry
So thae put potted heed in te gravy th' pie
Then inte th' yuven th' pie wis then put
Th' yuven wis het an th' door wis kept shut

Wen th' pie wis awl riddy an nicely keukt
Into th' pantry Bob Charlton then teukt
Th' crust he broke inte se cunnen an sly
Te muaik them believe they'd been eatin th' pie

So in cums Joe Peel, Joe Witfield, an Bob
Like other times thae wor ment for th' gob
Bob Charlton then whispered te Witfield se slee
"If thoo lucks in th' pantry a pie thoo can see"

Thae thowt 'twas a rabbit, an hoo te muaik thares
Charlton got Coxon te gan up th' stairs
Bob Witfield then thowt a grand trick he wad try
So he into th' pantry an off wi th' pie

He off alang th' raw an doon intiv a field
He thowt he'd deun clivor th' pie for te steal
Him an Joe Peel se contentedly sat
Enjoyen thorsels wi th' lims iv a cat

Charlton an Coxon buaith laft fit te brust
Te see them on chowen th' cat an th' crust
Joe Peel gat a leg thit he thowt wis eneuf
He sais,"Bob it's nice but it's terable teuf"

Thae eat sum iv pussy an drove a bit crack
Until thae agreed for te tuaik th' pie back
Wen thae gat te th' hoose, thae went at it aguain
Till in th' pie dish thor wis ardly a buain

Ye wad a laft if ye'd only ben in
Wen Bob Charlton held up befor them th' skin
As seun is th' skin iv th' pussy thae saw
Thae ran te th' door an thae started te thraw

Th' cat wis awl eaten but just th' cat skin
But it wad been eaten had thae puten't in
Poor pussy is guain but thor's men iv its place
Th' mice dorsent luck these young cheps in th' face

I have writen this song in the North West Durham accent from the original writings of Tommy Armstrong. If you pronounce the words as you read them you should be near enough the right accent

Cheers Bill