The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #124852   Message #2760300
Posted By: Jim Carroll
05-Nov-09 - 02:51 PM
Thread Name: Cob O'Coaling / Cob-a-Coaling for Bonfire Night
Subject: RE: 'Cob-a-Coaling' for Bonfire Night
This is Harry Boardman's version - might be wrong but I think he wrote the last verse.
Jim Carroll

COB-O'-COALIN'
From the singing of Lancashire singer Harry Boardman.
The song was used as an annual begging piece by Lancashire (Oldham?) children.

We'll come a cob-o'coalin', cob-o'-coalin', cob-o'coalin'
We've come a cob-o'-coalin' on bonfire night.

The first to come in is a collier you see,
With his pick and he shovel already dig,
He digs it and picks it and then it do fall,
And that is the way we do gather oor coal.

And the next to come in is a sailor you see,
With a bunch of blue ribbon tied under his knee,
He's travelled through England through France and through Spain,
And now he's returned to owd England again.

Last to come in is a miser youou see,
He's a hump on his back, and he's blind of one ee,
He's a weary owd feller and he wears a pigtail,
And all his delight is in drinking strong ale.

Now down in cellar there's an old umbrella,
There's nowt in the corner but an old pepper Pot.
Pepper pot, pepper pot, morning till night,
If you give us nowt, we'll take nowt, and bid you goodnight.

And it down in yon cellar there's plenty of bugs,
They've eaten my stockings and part of my clogs;
I get a sharp knife and we'll cut their yeds off,
And we'll have a good supper of bugs yeds and broth.

SPOKEN
Up a ladder and down a wall,
Tuppence or thruppence will please us all.