Come Whoam To Thi’ Childer An’Me
by Edwin Waugh
John Howarth, vocal; Gerry Kearns, guitar; Larry Kearns, mandolin.
Well aw’ve just mended th’fire wi’ a cob;
Owd Swaddle has brought thi new shoon;
There’s some nice bacon-collops o’ th’ hob,
An’ a quart o’ ale-posset i’ th’ oon;
Aw’ve brought thi top-cwot, doesta know,
For th’ rain’s comin’ deawn very dree;
An’ th’ har-stone’s as white as new snow;
Come whoam to thi childer an’ me.
An’ th’ har-stone’s as white as new snow;
Come whoam to thi childer an’ me.
When aw put little Sally ti bed,
Hoo cried, ‘cose her feyther weren’t theer,
So I kissed th’little thing, an’ aw said
As'ow bring her a ribbin fro’ th’fair;
An’ aw gav’ her her doll, an’ some rags,
An’ a nice little white cotton-bo’;
An’ aw kissed her again; but hoo said
’As hoo wanted to kiss thee an’ o.
An’ aw kissed her again; but hoo said
’As hoo wanted to kiss thee an’ o.
An’ Dick, too, aw’d sich wark wi’ him,
Afore aw could get him upstairs;
Well I promised eed buy him a drum,
He said, when he’re sayin’ his prayers;
Then he looked i’ my faze, an’ he said,
“Has th’ boggarts taen howd o’ my dad?”
An’ he cried til his e’en were quite red –
He likes thee some weel does yon lad!
An’ he cried til his e’en were quite red –
He likes thee some weel does yon lad!
At th’lung-length, aw geet ‘em laid still;
An’ aw hearken’t folks feet ‘at went by;
So aw iron’t o my clooas reet weel,
An’ aw hang’d ‘em o’ th’ maiden to dry;
Then aw’d mended thi stockin’s an’ shirts,
Aw sit deawn to knit i’ my cheer,
An’ aw rayley did feel raythur hurt –
Mon, aw’m one-ly when theaw aren’t theer.
An’ aw rayley did feel raythur hurt –
Mon, aw’m one-ly when theaw aren’t theer.
“Aw’ve a drum an’ a trumpet for Dick;
Aw’ve a yard o’ blue ribbin for Sal;
Aw’ve a book full o’ babs; an’ a stick
An’ some ‘bacco an’ pipes for mysel;
Aw’ve brought thee some coffee an’ tay –
Iv thae’ll feel i’ my pocket, thae’ll see;
An’ aw’ve brought tho a new cap today lass –
I olez bring summat for thee!
An’ aw’ve brought tho a new cap today lass –
I olez bring summat for thee!
“God bless thee, my lass; aw’ll come whoam,
An’ aw’ll kiss thee an’ th’ childer o reawnd;
An ni matter, ‘at wherever aw roam,
Aw’m fain to get back to th’ owd greawnd;
Aw con do wi’ a crack o’er a glass;
Aw con do wi’ a bit ov a spree;
But aw’ve no gradely comfort, my lass,
Except wi’ yon childer an’ thee.”
But aw’ve no gradely comfort, my lass,
Except wi’ yon childer an’ thee.”
E. Waugh
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers
John Howarth, vocal; Gerry Kearns, guitar; Larry Kearns, mandolin.
Well aw’ve just mended th’fire wi’ a cob;
Owd Swaddle has brought thi new shoon;
There’s some nice bacon-collops o’ th’ hob,
An’ a quart o’ ale-posset i’ th’ oon;
Aw’ve brought thi top-cwot, doesta know,
For th’ rain’s comin’ deawn very dree;
An’ th’ har-stone’s as white as new snow;
Come whoam to thi childer an’ me.
An’ th’ har-stone’s as white as new snow;
Come whoam to thi childer an’ me.
When aw put little Sally ti bed,
Hoo cried, ‘cose her feyther weren’t theer,
So I kissed th’little thing, an’ aw said
As'ow bring her a ribbin fro’ th’fair;
An’ aw gav’ her her doll, an’ some rags,
An’ a nice little white cotton-bo’;
An’ aw kissed her again; but hoo said
’As hoo wanted to kiss thee an’ o.
An’ aw kissed her again; but hoo said
’As hoo wanted to kiss thee an’ o.
An’ Dick, too, aw’d sich wark wi’ him,
Afore aw could get him upstairs;
Well I promised eed buy him a drum,
He said, when he’re sayin’ his prayers;
Then he looked i’ my faze, an’ he said,
“Has th’ boggarts taen howd o’ my dad?”
An’ he cried til his e’en were quite red –
He likes thee some weel does yon lad!
An’ he cried til his e’en were quite red –
He likes thee some weel does yon lad!
At th’lung-length, aw geet ‘em laid still;
An’ aw hearken’t folks feet ‘at went by;
So aw iron’t o my clooas reet weel,
An’ aw hang’d ‘em o’ th’ maiden to dry;
Then aw’d mended thi stockin’s an’ shirts,
Aw sit deawn to knit i’ my cheer,
An’ aw rayley did feel raythur hurt –
Mon, aw’m one-ly when theaw aren’t theer.
An’ aw rayley did feel raythur hurt –
Mon, aw’m one-ly when theaw aren’t theer.
“Aw’ve a drum an’ a trumpet for Dick;
Aw’ve a yard o’ blue ribbin for Sal;
Aw’ve a book full o’ babs; an’ a stick
An’ some ‘bacco an’ pipes for mysel;
Aw’ve brought thee some coffee an’ tay –
Iv thae’ll feel i’ my pocket, thae’ll see;
An’ aw’ve brought tho a new cap today lass –
I olez bring summat for thee!
An’ aw’ve brought tho a new cap today lass –
I olez bring summat for thee!
“God bless thee, my lass; aw’ll come whoam,
An’ aw’ll kiss thee an’ th’ childer o reawnd;
An ni matter, ‘at wherever aw roam,
Aw’m fain to get back to th’ owd greawnd;
Aw con do wi’ a crack o’er a glass;
Aw con do wi’ a bit ov a spree;
But aw’ve no gradely comfort, my lass,
Except wi’ yon childer an’ thee.”
But aw’ve no gradely comfort, my lass,
Except wi’ yon childer an’ thee.”
E. Waugh
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers
Many of the great North West dialect poets moralized heavily in their works. They purposely sought to promote a high moral standard of behaviour. Quickly called to mind are Oldham’s J. T. Taylor, Ammon Wrigley, Sam Fitton and Samuel Laycock. More recently their successors, Harvey Fitton, Harvey Kershaw, Cliff Gerrard and many others are perpetuating this tradition. This song was obviously aimed to prick the consciences of those whose drinking habits keep them away from their families. The first four verses are supposed to be sung by a woman as she entices her husband from the pub. The remaining two verses comprise the husband’s apologetic but comforting reply.
John sings the song rather than Gerry or Larry because he has been dragged out of the most pubs. Edwin Waugh (1817-90) wrote these verses. In 1855 he published his first volume of prose under the title “Sketches of Lancashire Life and Character”, and some 12 months later Come Whoam to thi Childer an’ Me appeared in the “Manchester Examiner”. It was first scribbled out hurriedly while Waugh was in the coffee room of the old Clarence Hotel, Spring Gardens, Manchester, and the original draft is still in the keeping of the Manchester Literary Club. Subsequently it was printed on card, one tradesman presenting a copy to each of his customers, and Miss Burdett-Coutts (later the Countess of Huntingdon) ordered some 10 or 20 thousand copies for free distribution. It became an over-night sensation and proved to be a turning point in Waugh’s career as an outstanding dialect poet resulting in people referring to him as “the Prince of Lancashire dialect writers”. Delicate, tender, free from artificiality, it became a universal favourite wherever Lancashire dialect was treasured, throughout England and in the colonies.
John sings the song rather than Gerry or Larry because he has been dragged out of the most pubs. Edwin Waugh (1817-90) wrote these verses. In 1855 he published his first volume of prose under the title “Sketches of Lancashire Life and Character”, and some 12 months later Come Whoam to thi Childer an’ Me appeared in the “Manchester Examiner”. It was first scribbled out hurriedly while Waugh was in the coffee room of the old Clarence Hotel, Spring Gardens, Manchester, and the original draft is still in the keeping of the Manchester Literary Club. Subsequently it was printed on card, one tradesman presenting a copy to each of his customers, and Miss Burdett-Coutts (later the Countess of Huntingdon) ordered some 10 or 20 thousand copies for free distribution. It became an over-night sensation and proved to be a turning point in Waugh’s career as an outstanding dialect poet resulting in people referring to him as “the Prince of Lancashire dialect writers”. Delicate, tender, free from artificiality, it became a universal favourite wherever Lancashire dialect was treasured, throughout England and in the colonies.
E. Waugh
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers
First recorded and published by Topic Records 1975.
Album: FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE 12TS276 stereo.
Recorded and produced by Tony Engle, London, July 1975
Notes by The Oldham Tinkers and A.L.Lloyd.
Re-released by © PIER RECORDS 1999 under licence from TOPIC RECORDS, England.
BBC Broadcaster Andy Kershaw put this CD together with the help of PIER RECORDS on an album entitled A FINE OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN, The Best of the Topic Years. PIERCD 501
Re-released by PIER RECORDS 2006 on PIERCD 507 “For Old Time’s Sake”
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers
First recorded and published by Topic Records 1975.
Album: FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE 12TS276 stereo.
Recorded and produced by Tony Engle, London, July 1975
Notes by The Oldham Tinkers and A.L.Lloyd.
Re-released by © PIER RECORDS 1999 under licence from TOPIC RECORDS, England.
BBC Broadcaster Andy Kershaw put this CD together with the help of PIER RECORDS on an album entitled A FINE OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN, The Best of the Topic Years. PIERCD 501
Re-released by PIER RECORDS 2006 on PIERCD 507 “For Old Time’s Sake”