Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds

Subject: Otterby in the Wolds
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 09:17 AM

anyone know this one?

The song has the words 'Otterby in the Wolds' in the first couple of lines.

many thanks

ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 09:56 AM

I had no luck at all. Masato? Mario?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: DMcG
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 10:01 AM

Sure it is Otterby? There was a battle of Otterburn and there's a good few songs about that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Apr 02 - 10:44 AM

I haven't found it. Is that the title?

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 09:54 AM

This is a tough one. "Otterby in the Wolds" (in quotes) turns up nothing in Google. Neither does "Otterby in the", "Otterby of the", "Otterby on the", or "Otterby by the". Neither does OTTERBY WOLD (without quotes) or OTTERBY WOLDS.

The Gazetteer of British Place Names did not list "Otterby" and neither did the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.

"Otterby" alone gets 640 hits on Google, but they seem to be mainly personal names.

The closest thing I found to a musical connection was a reference to Nigel Chippindale's 'Otterby Band'.

Guest Ray: Can you give us ANY more information about the song? Such as, who performed it? What it's about? Can you quote any lines from it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: GUEST,ray
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 09:55 AM

Thank you for the response to my request

I heard this comic song the other night and it contained the words Otterby in the Wold in the first few lines. The song is about the artistic life of the town and goes on about The local musicians "The Otterby Band" The local poet "The Otterby Bard" and so on.

Unfortunately I have no other information Any ideas more than welcome

Thanks again to my respondents

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 12:06 PM

"Otterby bard" still turns up nothing, and "Otterby band" only turns up the one reference I already mentioned.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: SharonA
Date: 18 Apr 02 - 12:35 PM

Well, the bard Otterby in the Wolds, but I guess he's not.... *G*

Subject: Lyr Add: OTTERBY (John Lawson, Otterby Band)
From: Otterby Bard
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 06:32 AM

The song is called "Otterby" and it's by John Lawson of Stockton-on-Tees Folk Club, member of the eponymous Otterby Band who sang it at Saltburn. The lyrics are:

The village of Otterby out on the wold
Is a centre of culture, or so I've been told.
They do polkerwork, paintings and pottery there;
If you visit they'll sell you Otterby ware.
You Otterby ware, you Otterby ware,
If you visit they'll sell you Otterby ware:
They do polkerwork, paintings and pottery there;
If you visit they'll sell you Otterby ware.

There's a bunch of musicians who scrape, blow and squeeze
At dances (the kind where they serve pie and peas).
If they all played in time and in tune 'twould be grand,
They're collectively known as The Otterby Band.
The Otterby Band, the Otterby Band etc.

In the pub there's a poet, recites all the time:
His verses don't scan well but boy, do they rhyme.
You can tell how his poetry's held in regard,
When he comes in they whisper, "The Otterby Bard".
The Otterby Bard, the Otterby Bard etc.

The Otterby Players are always ambitious,
Not for them pantomime or "No sex please, we're British".
After Waiting for Godot, the press critic stated
How highly she thought the Otterby cast rated.
The Otterby cast rated, etc.

The Otterby youth grace the cultural spectrum
With spray-painted walls, with guitar and with plectrum;
Miss Wilkinson's class still does ballet and tap
While the Otterby Boy Band do authentic rap.
Authentic rap, etc.

The models from life-class, one huge and one wizened,
Retired last year; how the members have risen!
For two buxom young ladies of just seventeen
Now add to the charms of the Otterby scene.
The Otterby scene, etc.

The village of Otterby out on the wold
Is a centre of culture, or so I've been told.
And if on the folks there you think I've been hard,
These words were composed by the Otterby Bard
The Otterby Bard etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: Snuffy
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 09:32 AM

Definitely Otterby Bard!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 10:18 AM

A very clever song!

I decided I should get up to speed on my British, so I looked up "wold." "Wold" is related to the German "Wald" and at one time it meant a woods or forest. Now it means "land without woods."

Not at all logical, but probably true to the spirit of Otterby.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby in the Wolds
From: Sooz
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 10:20 AM

Good song - enjoyed the performance at Saltburn on Friday night! There is a village called Atterby in Lincolnshire. I wonder if it is up for a song of its own!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby (John Lawson, Otterby Band)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 03:15 PM

So what is polkerwork? Is that a misspelling of pokerwork, i.e. pyrography or wood-burning?

Google gives 13 hits on "polkerwork" and 30,200 on "pokerwork".

And is Otterby a real place?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby (John Lawson, Otterby Band)
From: Snuffy
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 06:34 PM

And is Otterby a real place? No, but it ought to be.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby (John Lawson, Otterby Band)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Aug 06 - 06:47 PM

At the risk of labouring the point, try saying "Otterby" a few times out loud, quite quickly. Then "Otterby band"...

Otterby obvious after a little while.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby (John Lawson, Otterby Band)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Aug 06 - 01:04 PM

I finally got it! Ought to be banned, ought to beware, etc.!

I suppose the pun is more obvious when spoken in a British accent than an American one.

Malcolm, I honestly had no idea there were any puns in that song (or in this thread) until I read your comment.

A few messages made no sense, but hey, that's normal at Mudcat.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Otterby (John Lawson, Otterby Band)
From: Otterby Bard
Date: 02 Sep 06 - 05:59 AM

Needs a North of England accent, preferably Yorshire!
Yes, it should be pokerwork.
Otterby is near Shudby-by-Heck .....