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Subject: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog From: Jim Gillan Date: 01 Feb 08 - 07:04 AM How do all! The Oldham Tinkers recording of "The Talking Dog" is on their "Sit Thee Down" CD and a very fine album it is. But as they sing with strong Lancashire accents and (I think) use a fair few local colloquial expressions on this track I'm struggling to make out the exact words. Any help/translation much appreciated! Best to all Jim |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog From: Mr Happy Date: 01 Feb 08 - 07:30 AM Get your drift, listen this, can 'ardly make out a word they're saying/singing http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IHG2iKY33WY |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE TALKING DOG From: GeoffLawes Date: 01 Feb 08 - 08:33 PM This is the best I have ever been able to come up with, but not being a Lanky speaker there may be something lost in translation. I have never managed to interpret the pub landlord's name with confidence hence the brackets The Talking Dog Bob (Balloons) was the landlord of the Ring of Bells pub, With his wife and their son, gormless John. In the daytime his wife tended cattle round back, And in the evenings, with John waited on, And in the evenings, with John waited on. In a sing song at night John played piano a bit. He were lazy but by he were (...?....). “Will thee follow me or shall I follow thee?” And anyway each took his course, And anyway each took his course. John were sent off to market by Bob for a cow, And on his way into the town, Met a rum-un called Annie but a blondie to some, And he took her to sup at the Crown, And he took her to sup at the Crown. Well he wined her and dined her and he took her t'fair, Where they copped on to all of the rides, Then they ate sugar plums, black peas and the like, And they saw the Fat Lady besides, And they saw the Fat Lady besides. (They had coconut shies, won a rag doll for her,) ? Then John said "Let's walk down t' wood". "I will if thou only behave", said Anne. "Thou'd be upset, me lass, if I should, Thou'd be upset, me lass, if I should.” Later on John jumped up on recalling his task. “He'll kill me! I've spent all his brass.” “He's no angel hisself,” whispered Anne in his ear. “With that barmaid he's flattened some grass. With that barmaid he's flattened some grass.” "Where's the cow?" Bob did ask. "Now't in cow line", said John. "Where's me brass then?” said father to son. "About this here dog, it's a dog that can talk." "Now come on, lad. Let's have less of fun. Now come on, lad. Let's have less of fun." "It's as true as I'm here, it'd be good for trade." "That's workin' thee bonce", says his dad. "If thou's bought’t, where is it, this miracle pup?" "I were coming to that", said the lad. "I were coming to that", said the lad. "Coming home by canal, I were chatting t' dog And he asked me where it would abide. I said ‘Ring of Bells‘. He said "Bob Balloon’s pub? Does he still have that redhead ont' side?" You could here a pin drop and Bob's face it just fell, And he said, "Lad, well what did thou do?" "I drop kicked the bugger straight into canal, To save it embarrassing you.” SPOKEN "Thou did right", said Bobby Balloons. I'm sure someone on the wet side of the Penines can tidy this up. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog From: GeoffLawes Date: 02 Feb 08 - 08:19 AM Pennines - I knew that |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog From: Charley Noble Date: 02 Feb 08 - 01:17 PM I can hardly wait until this song is translated. Cheerily, Charley "Clueless" Noble |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: GeoffLawes Date: 03 Feb 08 - 05:28 PM Charley your wish is granted by the magic of the www Prose version of the Talking Dog |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: Jim Gillan Date: 25 Feb 08 - 11:02 AM Thanks everybody for your help with this and apologies for not replying sooner. Unlike a previous stab at seeking help from the Mudcat community (when I though replies came to my Outlook Express inbox rather than to Mudcat) I've been away from the PC for the last little while. Best to all Jim |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: Weasel Date: 02 Jan 09 - 10:33 AM Hi, Just a couple of corrections here (there may be others but these are immediately obvious to me. verse 7 line 3 - "Aw bowt this 'ere dog" (I bought this 'ere dog) verse 8 line 2 - "Tha's weak i' thi bonce, says his dad". (You're weak in your head, says his dad) Cheers, Weasel (first language lancashire) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: GeoffLawes Date: 02 Jan 09 - 06:52 PM Thanks for the corrections Weasel, they seem right to me - you didn't correct the landlord's name so do you think it really is Bob Balloons? |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: Weasel Date: 02 Jan 09 - 07:14 PM Yes, Bob Balloons. There are a couple of other lines I'm not sure about, especially verse 2 and I can't get at my old vinyl of the Oldham Tinkers to check. (Then I'd have to try to get my gramophone working - I'm not sure it works on north sea electric.) Cheers, |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: Amos Date: 02 Jan 09 - 08:03 PM Well, each to his own--I like Kendall's Talking Dog better, but its purely Yankee. A |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: Dave the Gnome Date: 02 Jan 09 - 09:17 PM I think it was one of the Oldham Tinkers that used to call his dog Grieg - All it could do were pee agin't suite... :D (eG) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: sid Date: 10 Jan 09 - 05:47 PM V2. L2. "He were simple but my he were fowse" (false - a bit dodgy!) |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THE TALKING DOG (Oldham Tinkers) From: nigelew Date: 05 Jun 09 - 01:38 PM Guys I think I have the definitive version - as follows. Despite living now in Kent (odd place), I'm Lancashire born and bred from Lancaster way. Best Nigel THE TALKING DOG Bob Balloons was the landlord in th' owd Ring of Bells, With his wife and their son, gormless John. In the daytime his wife tended cattle round back, And in th' evenings, wi' John waited on, And in th' evenings, wi' John waited on. In a sing song at night John played piano a bit. He were lazy but by he were fause. "Well will tha follow me or shall I follow thee?" And anyway each took his course, And anyway each took his course. John were sent off to market by Bob for a cow, And on his way into the town, Met a rum-un called Annie or Blondie to some, And he took her to sup at the Crown, And he took her to sup at the Crown. Well he wined her and dined her and he took her t'fair, Where they copped on to all of the rides, Then they ate sugar bunnies, black peas and the like, And they saw the Fat Lady besides, And they saw the Fat Lady besides. They had coconut shies, won a rag doll for her, Then John said "Let's walk down t' wood". "I will if thou only behave", says Anne. "Thou'd be upset, me lass, if I should, Thou'd be upset, me lass, if I should." Later on John jumped up on recalling his chore. "He'll kill me! I've spent all his brass." "He's no angel hisself," whispered Anne in his ear. "With that barmaid he's flattened some grass. With that barmaid he's flattened some grass." "Where's the cow?" Bob did ask. "Now't in cow line", said John. "Where's me brass then?" asked father to son. "About this here dog, it's a dog what can talk." "Now come on, lad. Let's have less of fun. Now come on, lad. Let's have less of fun." "It's as true as I'm here, it'd be good for trade." "Tha's weak i'the bonce", says his dad. "If thou's bought't, where is it, this miracle pup?" "I were coming to that", said the lad. "I were coming to that", said the lad. "Coming home by canal, I were chatting t' dog And he asked me where it would abide. I said 'Ring of Bells'. He said "Bob Balloon's pub? Does he still have that redhead ont' side?" Does he still have that redhead ont' side?" You could here a pin drop and Bob's face it just fell, And he said, "Lad, well what did thou do?" "I drop kicked the bugger straight into canal, To save it embarrassing you." SPOKEN "Tha did reet lad", said Bobby Balloons. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: GUEST Date: 10 Jan 11 - 04:26 AM All that sounds good to me except verse 7 line 3 "About this 'ere dog" I feel very strongly that it isn't "about" but "Aw bowt" - "I bought" (in my area usually pronounced "A bowt") I'm not translating here - this is my first language and I use the phrase "aw bowt" very regularly. (As in, "Aw bowt yon book o' words an' they worn'd reet") All the best, Weasel |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: Weasel Date: 10 Jan 11 - 04:29 AM Sorry, that was me - cookie had expired Weasel |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 10 Jan 11 - 09:33 PM That sounds right, Weasel. Trouble is, the dog isn't there, he'd kicked it in the canal. I would keep 'Aw bowt' and change 'this here' to something more logical. It's a clever story. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: GUEST,Graham Jepps Date: 05 Mar 11 - 12:51 PM I think the landlord's surname is Ballou, a variant of Bullough (which can also pronounced that way), a name common enough in that part of the country. John Bullough was a highly successful 19th century industrialist and inventor from Accrington, so probably not the gormless John in the song. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_%26_Bullough |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: Barbara Date: 05 Mar 11 - 01:22 PM "Aw bowt this 'ere dog" (I bought this 'ere dog) The dog doesn't have to be present to be covered by "this here". It's just a manner of speaking: "I've got this here girlfriend, see an.. Blessings Barbara |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: GUEST,Gary Heywood-Everett Date: 23 Jun 11 - 03:37 PM Hi Interesting to read the posts. I wrote this song for the Oldham Tinkers, taking the story from a book of stories of 'Lancashire Lore' that I found in Lancaster University library. I made up the Bob Balloons name as in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century older folk sometimes had what were called by-names and I remember such name as Tom o'Waters and Billy Pigs. I think I recalled Bobby Balloons as the name of a chap in the Milnrow (nr Rochdale) area. 'Faus' is an old Lancashire term meaning false or shifty (but smart). Shame that these terms have gone now. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers) From: GUEST Date: 13 Aug 19 - 12:38 AM They et sugar bunnies at the fair (long bread rolls with sugar sprinkled inside, poor man’s panini) “Tha’s weak in tha bon” (weak in the head) |
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