Lyr Add: The Pitman and the Blackin'

Subject: Lyr Add: The Pitman and the Blackin'
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 06:41 PM

The Pitman and the Blackin'

O, Betty, come and see my byuts,
The upper leather's crackin';
It's a' wi' cleanin' them wi' syut,
And niver usin' blackin'.
But, Betty, awl gan ti the toon
Ti-morn, and see my uncle Brown;
And if it costs me half-a-crown,
Awl buy a pot o' blackin'.

For comin' hyem fra wark te neet,
Aw met wi' Willy Dewar;
His shoes were glitterin' on his feet-
He lyuckt like some heed viewer.
My eyes bein' dazzled at the seet,
Says aw, what myeks your shoes se breet,
He said to me, In Blackett Street
Aw bought a pot o' Blackin'.

It's myed, said he, by T. McCree,
It's noted up and down, man;
It is the best, it heads the rest
In a' Newcassel toon, man.
Byeth pyest and liquid ye may get
Te myek yor shoes as black as jet;
It will presarve them whe they're wet,
This celebrated blackin''.

There's Warren hes a vast o' slack,
And cuts a deal o' capers,
But still McCree he hes the crack
In a' Newcassel's papers.
Then if thou wants thy byuts ti shine,
Or shoes ti be as breet as mine,
Gan, Tommy, thou to toon in time,
And buy a pot o' blackin'.

Then, Betty, jewel, if this be true,
Awl gan ti-morrow mornin',
And awl bring hyem a pot or two,
Awl not be lang returnin'.
Then Betty, it'll be a joke,
When ye get on yor tartin cloak;
They'll tyek us for some better folk,
Wor shoes being bright wi' blackin'.

-Nunn


The first song in Nunn's book is said to be the first song he wrote, and for which, the story runs, he got half-a-crown as his pay. The McCrees, whose blacking he puffs, were some fifty years ago well-known tradesmen in Newcastle. The Rev. T. McCre, about the fist to devote himself to mission work amongst the outcast poor, was another brother.