Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandling Song

Subject: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the words ^^
From: Noreen
Date: 17 Jul 00 - 08:23 PM

I have been looking for the correct words of what I suppose to be a traditional Newcastle song, The Sandgate Dandle, and can find no trace- I wonder does anyone have any knowledge of it? I sing it myself but got the words from an old tape and am unsure of some of the Newcastle-isms. Below are the words I've got, but please feel free to suggest other words, particularly for the phrase that starts the song.
It is sung to the tune now used for 'The Liverpool Lullaby'

THE SANDGATE DANDLE

Hold thy way, my bonny bairn
Hold thy way upon my arm
Hold thy way, thy soon may learn
To say, 'Da-da' sae canny
I wish thy daddy may be weel
He's long in coming from the keel
Though his black face be like the de'il
I like a kiss from Johnnie.

Though thou's the first thou's not the last
I mean to have my bairns fast
And when this happy time is past
I still will love my Johnnie.
For his hair's brown and so is thine
Thy eyes are grey and so are mine
Thy chin is tapered off so fine
Thou's like thy daddy Johnnie

Yonder's Daddy coming now
He looks the best among the crew
They're all going to the Barleymow
To have a glass with Johnnie
So let's go get the bacon fried
And let us make a clean fireside
Then on his knee he will thee ride
When he comes home to Mammy.

Any help, links or info. would be appreciated.

Regards,

Noreen^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Pene Azul
Date: 17 Jul 00 - 08:41 PM

You can get the lyrics and hear the tune of "Sandgate Dandling Song" here (click).

PA

Subject: Lyr Add: SANDGATE DANDLING SONG ^^
From: Pene Azul
Date: 17 Jul 00 - 08:44 PM

SANDGATE DANDLING SONG

Hold thy way, my bonny bairn,
Hold thy way up on my arm,
Hold thy way, thou soon may learn
To say Dada, so canny.
I wish thy daddy may be well,
He's long in coming from the keel,
Though his black face be like the de'il,
I like a kiss from Johnny.

Thou really has thy daddy's chin,
Thou art like him, leg and wing,
And I, with pleasure, can thee sing,
Since thou belongs my Johnny.
Johnny is a clever lad,
Last night he fuddled all he had,
This morn he wasn't very bad,
He looked as blithe as any.

Though thou's the first, thou's not the last,
I mean to have my bairns fast,
And when this happy time is past
I still will love my Johnny.
For his hair's brown and so is thine,
Thine eyes are grey, and so are mine,
Thy nose is tapered off so fine,
Thou's like thy daddy Johnny.

Thy canny dowp is fat and round,
And like thy dad, thou's plump and sound,
Thou's worth to me a thousand pound,
Thou's altogether bonny.
When daddy's drunk, he'll take his knife
And threaten sore to take my life,
Who wouldn't be a keelman's wife,
To have a man like Johnny.

But yonder's daddy, coming now,
He looks the best among the crew,
They're all going to the Barley Mow
To have a glass with Johnny.
So let's go get the bacon fried,
And let us make a clean fireside,
Then on his knee he will thee ride,
When he comes home to mammy. ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 09:11 AM

There are some different versions of this, I lost two of mine, but I'll have a look for any other copies.

Cilla Black did a version of this and called it the Liverpool Lullaby, went something like the original version I had, but modernised. It started off:

Ee, thou art a mucky kid
Dirty as a dustbin lid
When he hears the things you did,
Yerl gerra belt from yer da.

Went on about strawberry jam tart in his hair. Try a search under the first line and you might get something.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 11:40 AM

Liverpool Lullaby

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 01:19 PM

PA, how do you do it? You are an international treasure! Did you
a) already know it,
b) know where to find it or
c) find it from scratch?

Whichever way, the speed of response is very impressive. Thank you very much indeed- hope I can help you sometime.

Thanks LtS and Malcolm too- I knew that version and had found that link, but I'd had no luck finding the original version.

Noreen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 01:42 PM

Now that I know it doessay that, what does 'hold thy way' mean in this context? Anyone?

Noreen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Pene Azul
Date: 18 Jul 00 - 04:37 PM

Noreen,

I think in this case I did Google searches on a couple of fragments of the lyrics you gave and checked the results for a good hit. I use several resources, but most of the time, if I don't find it here, I start with Google. Thanks for the kind words.

PA

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Noreen
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 08:18 PM

Refresh for Bagpuss and any other Geordies who might know.............
Noreen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Bagpuss
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 08:29 PM

Although I don't know the phrase as such, i think it probably means slow down or wait - as in the more current phrase "hold on", or "hold your horses".

Or it could mean be quiet, as in "haad yer wheesht", or "haad yer gob"

BTW, In geordie, hold is generally pronounced "haad".

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Noreen
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 09:08 PM

Refresh for Mary in Ky to sing to mini-sprog.

Congratulations Grandma Mary!

Noreen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Sep 00 - 06:17 PM

Jam in hair is not obligatory, but found it quite a fashionable accessory with mine, in the days when she would scream if I so much as picked up the hairbrush on the other side of the room..... Diligents and bribery have got us to the stage where I can brush the jam out whilst she is still awake!!

LTS

Subject: Lyr Add: SANDGATE WIFE'S NURSE SONG ^^
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Oct 00 - 10:00 PM

Here's another song you may hear from Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman. Fentiman sings it solo on their Constant Lovers CD. The tune is the same as Liverpool Lullaby, that Judy Collins recorded on her In My Life album. Also look at Do-Li-A, which uses the same tune. The lyrics seem unrelated, although "Sandgate" appears in both. These lyrics are from Mudcatter Conrad Bladey's Website. The lyrics Fentiman sings seem to be a bit more modern. The Fentiman recording credits Robert Nunn as the songwriter - I take it Nunn is the editor of the Newcastle Song Book.-Joe Offer-

---

SANDGATE WIFE'S NURSE SONG
Tune- A sailor's Wife has nought to dee.

A, U, A, my bonny bairn,
A, U, A, upon my airm,
A,U,A,--thou suin may learn
To say dadda se canny;
Aw wish thy daddy may be weel,
He's lang i' coming frae the keel;
Tho' his black fyesce be like the de'il,
Aw like a kiss frae Johnny.

Chorus-
A,U,A&c.

Thou really hast thy daddy's chin,
Thou art like him leg and wing,
And aw wi' pleasure can thee sing,
Since thou belangs my Johnny.
Johnny is a clever lad--
Last neet he fuddled aw he had,
This morn he wasn't very bad--
He luik'd as blithe as ony.

Tho' thou's the first, thou's not the last;
Aw mean to hae my bairns fast--
And when this happy time is past,
Aw still will love my Johnny;
For his hair is brown, and see is thine,
Your eyes are grey, and sae are mine,
Thy nose is taper'd off se fine--
Thou's like thy daddy Johnny.

Thy canny doup is flat and round,
And, like thy dad, thou's plump and sound,
Thou's worth to me a thousand pound,
Thou's a' together bonny.
When daddy's drunk, he'll tyek a knife,
And threaten sair to tyek my life:
Whe wad not be a keelman's wife,
To have a man like Johnny.

But yonder's daddy coming now,
He luiks the best amang the crew;
They're a' gaun to the Barley-mow,
My canny, godlike Johnny.
Come, let's go get the bacon fried,
And let us make a clean fire-side,
Then on his knee he will thee ride,
When he comes hyem to mammy.

-Nunn -In: The Newcastle Song Book or
Tyne-Side Songster., W&T Fordyce
Newcastle Upon Tyne.

^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Oct 00 - 10:09 PM

Oh, and just for the record, the Website where Pene found the "Dandle" lyrics is operated by another Mudcatter, Susanne (SKW). So, we have both Conrad and Susanne to thank for these lyrics.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sandgate Dandle- not sure of the wor
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 17 Oct 00 - 07:22 PM

Joe, thanks to the link to Conrad's fantastic site. I have PM'd him re a print collection of Songs of Northern England by John Stoke, which he is bound to already have. Regards, John