Lyr Req/Add: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)

Subject: Rochdale cowboy
From: Den
Date: 03 Sep 99 - 09:48 AM

Anyone out there know the words to the Rochdale Cowboy written by Mike ? Oh God memory lapse. He was a Lancashire comedian/folk singer. Also does anyone know the words to Alsation once again (to the tune of a Nation once again) I think it was written by Dermot Morgan God rest him of Father Ted fame. Thanks in advance Den.

Subject: RE: Rochdale cowboy
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 03 Sep 99 - 10:23 AM

Sorry don't know the words but wasn't it Mike Harding (who took over the BBC folk slot from Jim LLoyd- to the detriment of the programme according to the UK folkies here on the Mudcat)
Roger (Damn right I got the blues)

Subject: RE: Rochdale cowboy
From: Doctor John
Date: 03 Sep 99 - 03:55 PM

It was and the programme is almost universally disliked both here and in the UK folk magazines. Unfortunate really as he had introduced some good programmes in the good old days when Jim Lloyd (come back!) did the regular "Folk on Two" slot. And especially as he appears on the CD "Deepest Lancashire" which is very good indeed. Dr John

Subject: RE: Rochdale cowboy
From: Bugsy
Date: 04 Sep 99 - 02:47 AM

I've got it on an old LP somewhere but the only bit I remember goes something like this:

It's hard to be a cowboy in Rochdale; 'cos the spus won't fit on me clogs; It's hard to be a cowboy in Rochdale; 'cos the folks all laugh': As I ride past on our Alsation Dog.

Subject: RE: Rochdale cowboy
From: GUEST,yorkie idiot
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 11:39 AM

has the cowboy bitten the dust?????

Subject: Lyr Add: ROCHDALE COWBOY
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 12:04 PM

FoundHere/ AboutTowns

And copied, lest that site goes walkies:


ROCHDALE COWBOY

(Spoken bit:)
Never before in the history of mankind has the story been told of those brave frontiersmen who carved out a passage in the Northwest and made it a place fit for heroes to live in. This is the story of one such man, sausage tosser extraordinar his name Fred Ackroyd

(Singing bit:)
CHORUS: It's hard being a cowboy in Rochdale.
Spurs don't fit right on me clogs.
Yee-haa
It's hard being a cowboy in Rochdale,
'Cause people laugh when I ride past on our Alsatian dog.

Almost every night
There's a tripe and cowheel fight
In our local pie and pea saloon,
And poor old Uncle Fred
He spent 18 months in bed
'Cause he tried to kiss a girl who's a boy named Sue. CHORUS

When the sun shines in the west,
That's the time that I like best,
And I go out punching cows with me brother Jack;
And poor old Uncle Fred,
He spent 18 months in bed
'Cause he punched one cow and she went and punched him back. CHORUS

In the local temperance bar,
We'd go and have a jar.
There's sarsaparilla and liquorice juice to drink;
And poor old Uncle Fred,
He spent 18 months in bed
'Cause he supped the stuff he used to clean the sink. CHORUS

Yer know when us cowpokes hit town,
We go an' 'orses round
With them good-time girls Elsie and Mucky Peg.
When Auntie Kitty found Uncle Fred,
He spent 18 months in bed
'Cause you can't run fast with your pants halfway down your legs.

CHEERS
Nigel

Subject: RE: Rochdale cowboy
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 03:07 PM

Have a look on Ebay.I have gleaned several of Mike's old books and cassettes.
Oh and get hold of his two "serioius" CDs "Plutonium Alley" and "Bombers Moon" - chock full of gems.

Andy

Subject: RE: Rochdale cowboy
From: guitar
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 03:54 PM

I remember the song as well, I have it on Record (remeber them)

Subject: RE: Rochdale cowboy
From: CharleyO'Neill
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 10:09 PM

I have a distant memory of Harding miming this song on top of the pops while perched atop a novelty false alsation.In England at least Harding was big time for a while - remember ?

Subject: RE: Rochdale cowboy
From: JohnB
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 10:24 PM

You are correct Charley, I also remember him on Top of the Pops.
I used to know him wayback, from when he was in the Edison Bell Jugband and when he ran a couple of Folk Clubs around Manchester. Not having lived in England since 1977, I'm not really sure why he seems to have pissed off the folk community. Whenever I have listened to his programme on the internet it has seemed OK to me.

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 03:54 AM

Out of interest it was Ralph McTell who took over from Jim Lloyd on BBC Radio 2 and Mike Harding took over from Ralph, alas.

eric

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: The Walrus
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 03:57 AM

Is this the place to mention that I've seen the 'real' "Rochdale Cowboys"?

Many years ago (I think it was just around the time that the song became popular), I was at a military modelling/wargaming show called "Northern Militaire" in (IIRC) Swinton.
Amongst the re-enactment groups being used to entertain the public were a 'Western' group from Lancashire, refighting "The Gunfight at the OK Corral" (to everyone's amusement) in the local shopping plaza.

W

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 08:42 AM

There are more Indians than cowboys in Rochdale these days.

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: CharleyO'Neill
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 12:28 PM

Keith A, you sir are hilarious! - The new Lenny Bruce!!

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: GUEST,studleygudfk
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 07:13 PM

Does any1 else remember the boogeyman??

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: Bainbo
Date: 05 Feb 07 - 06:56 PM

What? Do you mean:
"My mam told me that the boogeyman would come some day
And take me away
My mam told me that he really would
If I wasn't good
She'd tell him that he could.
Then one day I woke up
And the boogeyman came in
But he looked just like the bloke what's havin' our Maureen."?

Or am I thinking of something else?

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 08 - 02:56 PM

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: Evil Roy Slade
Date: 08 Oct 10 - 09:49 AM

Now I did manage to work out the (very easy) chords for this. But what about "The Bogyeman" - or indeed any other of the early stuff(see my separate post/plea)?

ROCHDALE COWBOY
Never before in the history of mankind has the story been told of those brave frontiersmen who carved out a passage in the Northwest and made it a place fit for heroes to live in.
This is the story of one such man, sausage tosser extraordinaire, his name – Fred Ackroyd.
CHORUS:
G                                    C
It's hard being a cowboy in Rochdale.
G                                        D
Spurs don't fit right on me clogs.Yee-haa
G               D                     C
Hard being a cowboy in Rochdale,
D                                                                        D
Cos people laugh when I ride past on our Alsatian dog.
Almost every night
There's a tripe and cowheel fight
In our local pie and pea saloon,
And poor old Uncle Fred
He spent 18 months in bed
Cos he tried to kiss a girl who's a boy called Sue.
CHORUS
When the sun shines in the west,
That's the time that I like best,
And I go out punching cows with me brother Jack
And poor old Uncle Fred,
He spent 18 months in bed
Cos he punched one cow and she went and punched him back.
CHORUS
In the local Temperance bar,
We'd go and have a jar.
There's sarsaparilla and liquorice juice to drink
And poor old Uncle Fred,
He spent 18 months in bed
Cos he supped the stuff they use to clean the sink.
CHORUS
Yer know when us cowpokes hits town,
We go and horse around
With them good-time girls in the house of Mucky Peg.
When Auntie Kitty found Uncle Fred,
He spent 18 months in bed
Cos you can't run fast with your pants halfway down your legs.
CHORUS

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: GUEST,henry29
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 09:50 AM

Mike Harding's Daughter Sarah sings the Theme to the "DangerMouse" Cartoon Series On T.V.

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Rochdale Cowboy (Mike Harding)
From: Silas
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 10:08 AM

Well, as I recall, Jim LLoyd used to do a fortnightly prog and the other two weeks were done by Cyril Tawney.