Lancashire Witches
Larry Kearns vocal; John Howarth chorus; Gerry Kearns guitar & chorus
In vain I attempt to describe the charms of mi favourite fair,
She’s the darlin’ of Mother Eve’s tribe, but with her there is none to compare.
She’s a pride of beauty so bright. Her image mi fancy enriches.
Oh mi charmers the village delight. She’s the pride of the Lancashire Witches.
Chorus:
And hurrah for the Lancashire Witches
Who’s smile every bosom enriches,
Oh dearly I prize those pretty blue eyes
Of the pride of the Lancashire Witches
You can talk of your dark eyes of Spain, but it’s useless to talk as you do
To try to compare them in vain with the Lancashire ladies in blue.
Only view the dear heavenly belles and you’re soon filled with love’s sudden twitches,
That only could come from the spells, from the eyes of the Lancashire Witches.
Chorus
Oh the Lancashire Witches, believe me, are beautiful every one.
And mine or my fancy deceives me. She’s t’ prettiest under the sun.
If the wealth o’ the Indies I swear were mine an’ I wallowed in riches,
How dearly my fortune I’d share with the pride of the Lancashire Witches.
Chorus.
In vain I attempt to describe the charms of mi favourite fair,
She’s the darlin’ of Mother Eve’s tribe, but with her there is none to compare.
She’s a pride of beauty so bright. Her image mi fancy enriches.
Oh mi charmers the village delight. She’s the pride of the Lancashire Witches.
Chorus:
And hurrah for the Lancashire Witches
Who’s smile every bosom enriches,
Oh dearly I prize those pretty blue eyes
Of the pride of the Lancashire Witches
You can talk of your dark eyes of Spain, but it’s useless to talk as you do
To try to compare them in vain with the Lancashire ladies in blue.
Only view the dear heavenly belles and you’re soon filled with love’s sudden twitches,
That only could come from the spells, from the eyes of the Lancashire Witches.
Chorus
Oh the Lancashire Witches, believe me, are beautiful every one.
And mine or my fancy deceives me. She’s t’ prettiest under the sun.
If the wealth o’ the Indies I swear were mine an’ I wallowed in riches,
How dearly my fortune I’d share with the pride of the Lancashire Witches.
Chorus.
In the past centuries witchcraft has often been to the fore in Lancashire. F. A. Bruton in his book “Lancashire”, published in 1921 tells us that in the year 1612, “no less than ten individuals from Pendle Forest were executed for witchcraft”. According to Lieutenant Colonel Henry Fishwick in his book, “History of Lancashire”, published in 1894; in 1633, on the bizarre evidence of a stone mason in which animals were transformed into humans and vice versa, between thirty and forty people were found guilty of witchcraft but execution was delayed in order that four of the accused be examined in London by the royal surgeons and physicians. As a result of the examination, all the accused were acquitted. Since those times, however, to most of us, a witch is somebody to be found in story books. The term witch has lost most of its evil significance. There was even a train called “The Lancashire Witch”. The witches referred to in this song are the lasses of Lancashire. (All Lancashire; not the new revised one.) The song is a monument and tribute to their femininity, beauty and their beguiling qualities. We took the words from John Harland’s “Ballads and Songs of Lancashire” (London, 1865).
Traditional
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 on C.D. by Pier Records in 2006 under licence from Topic Records Ltd, England.
The C.D. The Oldham Tinkers, ‘For Old Time’s Sake’ PIERCD 507
A classic Lancashire folk album, available for the first time on CD, with four bonus tracks and full song notes by the band and A. L. Lloyd.
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 on C.D. by Pier Records in 2006 under licence from Topic Records Ltd, England.
The C.D. The Oldham Tinkers, ‘For Old Time’s Sake’ PIERCD 507
A classic Lancashire folk album, available for the first time on CD, with four bonus tracks and full song notes by the band and A. L. Lloyd.