Lyr Add: Th' Wheelbarrow Man

Subject: Th' Wheelbarrow Man
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 15 Apr 02 - 11:15 AM

Th' Wheelbarrow Man

Yil aul heh ard e Gimmy Gordin ganen freh Dundee,
He wis oot e wark en cudint keep his wife en familee,
Aul he got wen on th' road he reely did disarv;
He sade thit he wid raithor dee than let his bairneys starv
It wis in November, en ipon th' second dae,
Wen Gordin en hees wheelbarrow fixt te set ewae;
Butchors, grocors, draipors, stopt thor wark te gan en see
Gordin start for Lundin wi' hees barrow freh Dundee.

Spoken- Wen Gimmy wis riddy for th' road he sais, Gid dae for a wee, stand back ye bairneys, th' road wis cleerd en Gimmy sade.

Chorus-

Heers of te Lundin en yid bettor clear th' wae
Aw want to be it yem aguain ipon Nue yeer's dae,
If aw wis once ipon th' road aw muaik me barrow gan
Awl let thim see thit aws th' champyon wheelbarrow man.

Gimmy en his barrow went it such e clivor stile
Th' bairens aul ran eftor im for lump ebuv e mile
Sum wis pullen at his cote, en runnen biv hees side.
Shooting Gimmy, stop th' cairt, en let us hev a ride.
Gimmy tuek nee heed e them he still kept wheelen on;
En wiv a champyon stroke or two freh them he seun wis gone,
Thae shooted, Gan on, gimmy lad, is far is thae cud see,
Th' bairnes aul declaird this Gordin muaid his barrow flee.

Spoken-
Wen he gat oot e seet e th' spectators he ad five
Minits blaw, en hees nose cleend, en e spit oot then be sais—

Chorus:

When Gimmy landed in Newcasil he wis welcum thare,
He sais he nivor seed se mony fokes it Glasgow fair.
He neethor seed e hoose or shop for thare wish such a thrang,
Th' bobbies ad t muaik a rode for im te pass elang.
Rotten eggs en oranigis, clarts en lumps e breed,
Brocken pipes, en baccy chows wis stottin off his heed,
Sum wid crie oot wat e shem en strugil ard te see,
Gordon th' wheelbarrow man, cumen freh Dundee.

Spoken- Gimmy stopt aul neet e Nuecasil, the next mornen thare wis hundrids waiten te see im off, he thenkt thim for thair kindness, then he lifted his barrow frev its int legs en sais-

Chorus

Wen Gimmy gat te Lunden he wis met we great sorprise,
Th' cocknies stud en luckt it im is if he wasint wise.
Thae put nee muny in his box thave arts is ard is stuain,
He sais he'l dee in Scotland twice before he'l gan eguain.
He sais he ad sum hevy daes we wet en wind en snaw,
But what he teuk ipon th' rode we'l nivor get te naw,
But hees landed yem en glad he is his wife en bairns te see,
En thenks th' fokes ipon th' Tine for being see kind en free.

Spoken- Gimmy sais, if it wis barrow shuving esteed e boat pulling he wid be champyon. He wants te shuv Hanlon or Beech on th' suaim wattor. If he defeeted Saw Dust Gack, en Bob Black, an ansor throo th' Sunda Companion will be etendid tee-

Chorus.

One Good Source:Polisses & Candymen, The Complete Works of Tommy Armstrong, The Pitman Poet,  ed. Ross Forbes, TommyArmstrong Memorial Trust, 1987.