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Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)

01 Feb 08 - 07:04 AM (#2250270)
Subject: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog
From: Jim Gillan

How do all!

The Oldham Tinkers recording of "The Talking Dog" is on their "Sit Thee Down" CD and a very fine album it is. But as they sing with strong Lancashire accents and (I think) use a fair few local colloquial expressions on this track I'm struggling to make out the exact words. Any help/translation much appreciated!

Best to all

Jim


01 Feb 08 - 07:30 AM (#2250284)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog
From: Mr Happy

Get your drift, listen this, can 'ardly make out a word they're saying/singing


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IHG2iKY33WY


01 Feb 08 - 08:33 PM (#2251059)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE TALKING DOG
From: GeoffLawes

This is the best I have ever been able to come up with, but not being a Lanky speaker there may be something lost in translation. I have never managed to interpret the pub landlord's name with confidence hence the brackets

The Talking Dog

Bob (Balloons) was the landlord of the Ring of Bells pub,
With his wife and their son, gormless John.
In the daytime his wife tended cattle round back,
And in the evenings, with John waited on,
And in the evenings, with John waited on.

In a sing song at night John played piano a bit.
He were lazy but by he were (...?....).
“Will thee follow me or shall I follow thee?”
And anyway each took his course,
And anyway each took his course.

John were sent off to market by Bob for a cow,
And on his way into the town,
Met a rum-un called Annie but a blondie to some,
And he took her to sup at the Crown,
And he took her to sup at the Crown.

Well he wined her and dined her and he took her t'fair,
Where they copped on to all of the rides,
Then they ate sugar plums, black peas and the like,
And they saw the Fat Lady besides,
And they saw the Fat Lady besides.

(They had coconut shies, won a rag doll for her,) ?
Then John said "Let's walk down t' wood".
"I will if thou only behave", said Anne.
"Thou'd be upset, me lass, if I should,
Thou'd be upset, me lass, if I should.”

Later on John jumped up on recalling his task.
“He'll kill me! I've spent all his brass.”
“He's no angel hisself,” whispered Anne in his ear.
“With that barmaid he's flattened some grass.
With that barmaid he's flattened some grass.”

"Where's the cow?" Bob did ask. "Now't in cow line", said John.
"Where's me brass then?” said father to son.
"About this here dog, it's a dog that can talk."
"Now come on, lad. Let's have less of fun.
Now come on, lad. Let's have less of fun."

"It's as true as I'm here, it'd be good for trade."
"That's workin' thee bonce", says his dad.
"If thou's bought’t, where is it, this miracle pup?"
"I were coming to that", said the lad.
"I were coming to that", said the lad.

"Coming home by canal, I were chatting t' dog
And he asked me where it would abide.
I said ‘Ring of Bells‘. He said "Bob Balloon’s pub?
Does he still have that redhead ont' side?"

You could here a pin drop and Bob's face it just fell,
And he said, "Lad, well what did thou do?"
"I drop kicked the bugger straight into canal,
To save it embarrassing you.”

SPOKEN
"Thou did right", said Bobby Balloons.




I'm sure someone on the wet side of the Penines can tidy this up.


02 Feb 08 - 08:19 AM (#2251367)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog
From: GeoffLawes

Pennines - I knew that


02 Feb 08 - 01:17 PM (#2251620)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog
From: Charley Noble

I can hardly wait until this song is translated.

Cheerily,
Charley "Clueless" Noble


03 Feb 08 - 05:28 PM (#2252685)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: GeoffLawes

Charley your wish is granted by the magic of the www

Prose version of the Talking Dog


25 Feb 08 - 11:02 AM (#2271847)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: Jim Gillan

Thanks everybody for your help with this and apologies for not replying sooner. Unlike a previous stab at seeking help from the Mudcat community (when I though replies came to my Outlook Express inbox rather than to Mudcat) I've been away from the PC for the last little while.

Best to all

Jim


02 Jan 09 - 10:33 AM (#2529618)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: Weasel

Hi,

Just a couple of corrections here (there may be others but these are immediately obvious to me.

verse 7 line 3 - "Aw bowt this 'ere dog" (I bought this 'ere dog)

verse 8 line 2 - "Tha's weak i' thi bonce, says his dad". (You're weak in your head, says his dad)

Cheers,

Weasel (first language lancashire)


02 Jan 09 - 06:52 PM (#2530059)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: GeoffLawes

Thanks for the corrections Weasel, they seem right to me - you didn't correct the landlord's name so do you think it really is Bob Balloons?


02 Jan 09 - 07:14 PM (#2530073)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: Weasel

Yes, Bob Balloons.

There are a couple of other lines I'm not sure about, especially verse 2 and I can't get at my old vinyl of the Oldham Tinkers to check. (Then I'd have to try to get my gramophone working - I'm not sure it works on north sea electric.)

Cheers,


02 Jan 09 - 08:03 PM (#2530108)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: Amos

Well, each to his own--I like Kendall's Talking Dog better, but its purely Yankee.


A


02 Jan 09 - 09:17 PM (#2530151)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: Dave the Gnome

I think it was one of the Oldham Tinkers that used to call his dog Grieg - All it could do were pee agin't suite...

:D (eG)


10 Jan 09 - 05:47 PM (#2537496)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: sid

V2. L2. "He were simple but my he were fowse" (false - a bit dodgy!)


05 Jun 09 - 01:38 PM (#2649212)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE TALKING DOG (Oldham Tinkers)
From: nigelew

Guys

I think I have the definitive version - as follows. Despite living now in Kent (odd place), I'm Lancashire born and bred from Lancaster way.

Best

Nigel

THE TALKING DOG

Bob Balloons was the landlord in th' owd Ring of Bells,
With his wife and their son, gormless John.
In the daytime his wife tended cattle round back,
And in th' evenings, wi' John waited on,
And in th' evenings, wi' John waited on.

In a sing song at night John played piano a bit.
He were lazy but by he were fause.
"Well will tha follow me or shall I follow thee?"
And anyway each took his course,
And anyway each took his course.

John were sent off to market by Bob for a cow,
And on his way into the town,
Met a rum-un called Annie or Blondie to some,
And he took her to sup at the Crown,
And he took her to sup at the Crown.

Well he wined her and dined her and he took her t'fair,
Where they copped on to all of the rides,
Then they ate sugar bunnies, black peas and the like,
And they saw the Fat Lady besides,
And they saw the Fat Lady besides.

They had coconut shies, won a rag doll for her,
Then John said "Let's walk down t' wood".
"I will if thou only behave", says Anne.
"Thou'd be upset, me lass, if I should,
Thou'd be upset, me lass, if I should."

Later on John jumped up on recalling his chore.
"He'll kill me! I've spent all his brass."
"He's no angel hisself," whispered Anne in his ear.
"With that barmaid he's flattened some grass.
With that barmaid he's flattened some grass."

"Where's the cow?" Bob did ask. "Now't in cow line", said John.
"Where's me brass then?" asked father to son.
"About this here dog, it's a dog what can talk."
"Now come on, lad. Let's have less of fun.
Now come on, lad. Let's have less of fun."

"It's as true as I'm here, it'd be good for trade."
"Tha's weak i'the bonce", says his dad.
"If thou's bought't, where is it, this miracle pup?"
"I were coming to that", said the lad.
"I were coming to that", said the lad.

"Coming home by canal, I were chatting t' dog
And he asked me where it would abide.
I said 'Ring of Bells'. He said "Bob Balloon's pub?
Does he still have that redhead ont' side?"
Does he still have that redhead ont' side?"


You could here a pin drop and Bob's face it just fell,
And he said, "Lad, well what did thou do?"
"I drop kicked the bugger straight into canal,
To save it embarrassing you."

SPOKEN
"Tha did reet lad", said Bobby Balloons.


10 Jan 11 - 04:26 AM (#3071105)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: GUEST

All that sounds good to me except verse 7 line 3 "About this 'ere dog"

I feel very strongly that it isn't "about" but "Aw bowt" - "I bought" (in my area usually pronounced "A bowt")

I'm not translating here - this is my first language and I use the phrase "aw bowt" very regularly. (As in, "Aw bowt yon book o' words an' they worn'd reet")

All the best,

Weasel


10 Jan 11 - 04:29 AM (#3071107)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: Weasel

Sorry, that was me - cookie had expired

Weasel


10 Jan 11 - 09:33 PM (#3071789)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: GUEST,leeneia

That sounds right, Weasel. Trouble is, the dog isn't there, he'd kicked it in the canal. I would keep 'Aw bowt' and change 'this here' to something more logical.

It's a clever story.


05 Mar 11 - 12:51 PM (#3107542)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: GUEST,Graham Jepps

I think the landlord's surname is Ballou, a variant of Bullough (which can also pronounced that way), a name common enough in that part of the country. John Bullough was a highly successful 19th century industrialist and inventor from Accrington, so probably not the gormless John in the song.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_%26_Bullough


05 Mar 11 - 01:22 PM (#3107568)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: Barbara

"Aw bowt this 'ere dog" (I bought this 'ere dog)

The dog doesn't have to be present to be covered by "this here".
It's just a manner of speaking: "I've got this here girlfriend, see an..

Blessings
Barbara


23 Jun 11 - 03:37 PM (#3175339)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: GUEST,Gary Heywood-Everett

Hi
Interesting to read the posts. I wrote this song for the Oldham Tinkers, taking the story from a book of stories of 'Lancashire Lore' that I found in Lancaster University library.

I made up the Bob Balloons name as in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century older folk sometimes had what were called by-names and I remember such name as Tom o'Waters and Billy Pigs. I think I recalled Bobby Balloons as the name of a chap in the Milnrow (nr Rochdale) area.

'Faus' is an old Lancashire term meaning false or shifty (but smart). Shame that these terms have gone now.


13 Aug 19 - 12:38 AM (#4004368)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Talking Dog (Oldham Tinkers)
From: GUEST

They et sugar bunnies at the fair (long bread rolls with sugar sprinkled inside, poor man’s panini)
“Tha’s weak in tha bon” (weak in the head)