Lyr ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)
From: r.padgett
Date: 24 Apr 25 - 02:24 AM

Yes Harry was truly enthusiastic singing his Lancashire songs ~ remember him when I went to Sidmouth with Johnny Booker and Martin Stacey ~we were eating Pork Pies and Harry saying "you Yorkshire lads like your growlers" ) pork pies

Mark Dowding is still singing Harry Boardman songs and banjo ~ good lad

Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 Apr 25 - 01:38 AM

i remember Harry well and his club the Unicorn, He encouraged younger singers like Brian Peters. It was people like Harry that made the uk folk revival a thriving genre.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)
From: Reinhard
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 07:48 PM

Barry Finn's lyrics missed the last three verses from the second page of the song in Harry & Lesley Boardman's book "Folk Songs & Ballads of Lancashire". He posted the lyrics earlier in 1998 as Lancashire Liar with the last verses but missing verse 10 "At Pendleton...".

Harry Boarman's notes on the "Deep Lancashire" album:

This song has obvious connections with what might be termed the Derby Ram series and used to be sub-titled The Greatest Liar Outside of London. Paul Graney of Nelson, heard this song in a Tideswell, Derbyshire pub, in the nineteen-twenties and was reminded of it when he recently came across a Bebbington broadside in Manchester. The broadside contains some eighteen verses, all more or less equally fantastic. The tune is similar to the one remembered by Paul Graney.

Jack Rutter's notes on his album Gold of Scar & Shale:

I spotted the words for this in Harry & Lesley Boardman’s Folk Songs & Ballads of Lancashire and particularly liked the nonsense of it all, which they say is “perhaps a survival of an earlier magical song”. The melody I’ve set the words to has echoes of Herod and the Cock which I first heard on the Watersons’ classic album Frost and Fire lots of years ago, with the chorus having echoes of a similar song to The Lancashire Liar called When I Was a Little Boy from Martin Carthy’s ever inspiring singing and playing.

The complete words:

THE LANCASHIE LIAR

In Manchester I saw a crow leave London in a crack, sir,
Flew as far as Saddleworth wi’ Ashton on its back, sir.

Chorus (after each verse):
Indeed, Sir, it’s true, sir, I’ve never been given to lie
And if you go to Lancashire you’ll see the same as I

I saw a goose from Staleybridge, that coal from Hyde had taken,
It stole a bag from Liverpool filled with Irish bacon.

In Warrington I saw a pig kill near two hundred people,
In Lancaster I saw a dog dance on Leeds church steeple.

In Huddersfield I met a bull selling Eccles cakes, sir,
In Marsden I met a dead horse going to Oldham wakes, sir.

In Delph I met a flock of sheep had been to rob a York church, sir,
They brought a hen from Tadcaster in a show to learn to work, sir.

At Hurst I saw a peck of birds take Leigh church and shake it,
And drive a horse through Dukinfield with eggs to Rochda’ market.

In Haslingden I saw a mouse wheel muck through Royton town, sir,
In Mossley I met a cat wearing a Knaresboro gown, sir.

In Bacup I saw a monkey in Burnley teaching school, sir,
In Blackburn it made Wangby cheese, in Colne it chased a fool, sir.

At Tyldesley Bank I saw a lamb at Stockport cry a sale, sir,
In Chowbent I saw a baboon in Wigan brewing ale, sir.

At Pendleton I met a dog driving sheep to Sutton,
At Middleton I saw a horse tried for stealing mutton.

At Failsworth I saw a turkey rob Preswich church all over
At Hull I saw a rabbit chase a hound at Dover

At Radcliff I saw a crow kill near three hundred witches,
At Bury I saw a tomcat at Bolton selling matches.

At Chorley I saw two bullocks in Preston selling oil, sir
At Bath I saw a pigeon take a giant to Carlisle, sir.

At Whitehaven I saw a fly eat a flitch of bacon,
And stick a pig at Cockermouth, in lies I’m not mistaken.

I once saw two dead guinea pigs try which of them was stronger,
I’ve really told so many lies that I can sing no longer.

Now to conclude and end my song with heart and true goodwill, sir,
If you want a bigger lie than this you can sing it for yourself, sir.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 05:06 PM

A little of Who's The Fool Now in here too.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 04:51 PM

The Mainly Norfolk info for the album gives the Roud number as V15520 which leads to this page https://archives.vwml.org/records/FK/17/212/2

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 04:35 PM

Sorry, should have added that my vinyl copy is buried in the loft and my scan of the cover is corrupted. If no-one comes up with sleeve notes I'll go look it out.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 04:32 PM

It's on the vinyl Deep Lancashire album with the cover on this discogs page. https://www.discogs.com/release/3734839-Various-Deep-Lancashire-Songs-And-Ballads-Of-The-Industrial-North-West

I know no more.

Subject: ADD: Lancashire Liar (from Harry Boardman)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Apr 25 - 03:17 PM

In another thread, somebody asked for lyrics to the song "The Lancashire Liar," supposedly recorded by Harry Boardman on the Deep Lancashire collection (but I can't find it on my CD but I think there are at least two Deep Lancashire CDs).

Here's a recording: https://www.facebook.com/JackRutterMusic/videos/517084919060168/

https://soundcloud.com/jackrutter/the-lancashire-liar-1

But hey, I found the song on a post by Good Old Barry Finn:

Thread #18699   Message #187212
Posted By: Barry Finn
29-Feb-00 - 11:18 PM
Thread Name: Lyr/Chords Req: Lancashire folk songs
Subject: Lyr Add: THE MANCHESTER LIAR^^

Hi Harpgirl, my pleasure, the song that is, I'd love to join a Hearme sing but I'm so bad at trying to make these teck NO boxes work I need a 3 yr old to take my hand so I don't trip over my own feet.

Harry Boardman mentions that the similarity to the Darby Ram obvious but says that this version seems of later vintage.

THE MANCHESTER LIAR

In Manchester I saw a crow leave London in a crack, sir
Flew as far as Saddleworth wi' Ashton on it's back, sir
Indeed, Sir, it's true, sir, I've never been given to lie & if you go to Lancashire you'll see the same as I

I saw a goose from Staleybridge, that coal from Hyde had taken
It stole a bag from Liverpool filled with Irish bacon

In Warrington I saw a pig kill near 200 people
In Lancaster I saw a dog dance on Leeds church steeple

In Huddersfield I met a bull selling Eccles cakes, sir
In Marsden I met a dead horse going to Oldham wakes, sir

In Delph I met a flock of sheep had been to rob a York church, sir
They brought a hen from Tadcaster in a show to learn to work, sir

At Hurst I saw a peck of birds take Leigh church & shake it
And drive a horse through Dukinfield with eggs to Rochda' market

In Haslingden I saw a mouse wheel muck through Royton town, sir
In Mossley I met a cat wearing a Knaresboro gown, sir

In Bacup I saw a monkey in Burnley teaching school, sir
In Blackburn it made Wangby cheese, in Colne it chased a fool, sir

At Tyldesley Bank I saw a lamb at Stockport cry a sale, sir
In Chowbent I saw a baboon in Wigan brewing ale, sir

At Pendleton I met a dog driving sheep to Sutton
At Middleton I saw a horse tried for stealing mutton

At Failsworth I saw a turkey rob Preswich chruch all over
At Hull I saw a rabbit chase a hound at Dover

At Radcliff I saw a crow kill near 300 witches
At Bury I saw a tomcat at Bolton selling matches

At Chorley I saw 2 bullocks in Preston selling oil, sir
At Bath I saw a pigeon take a giant to Carlisle, sir

This is an intriguing song. Can anybody tell us more about it?