John Howarth vocal & banjo; Gerry Kearns vocal & guitar; Larry Kearns vocal & mandolin
We are the two Rochdale Mashers,
We often go out on the “mash”,
We wear no tall hats, and no shirts to our backs,
And its seldom we have any cash.
We always bring out the new fashions,
While others, they stick to the old,
And though we are just twenty-seven,
We are handsome, stout-hearted, and bold.
Chorus:
For we’ll sing “Tra-la-la”, as we walk down the street,
For style and perfection, we ne’er can be beat,
All the ladies declare that we are a treat,
We’re the two Rochdale Mashers, from off Yorkshire Street.
For we dance, and we sing, and we don’t care a jot, we’re a jolly fine lot,
We’re alright, when we’re tight, and we’re jolly fine company.
Last Saturday we were invited,
To the “Roebuck” by two ladies fair,
Their cheeks were in bloom, like the roses in June,
As we danced with that beautiful pair;
There was dancing and singing till midnight,
We had whisky, tobacco, and rum,
And after the dancing was over, with the ladies we had lots of fun.
Chorus:
For we’ll sing “Tra-la-la” as we walk down the street,
For style and perfection, we ne’er can be beat,
All the ladies declare that we are a treat,
We’re the two Rochdale Mashers from off Yorkshire Street.
For we dance, and we sing, and we don’t care a lot, we’re a jolly fine lot,
We’re alright, when we’re tight, and we’re jolly fine company.
Traditional,
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers
We are the two Rochdale Mashers,
We often go out on the “mash”,
We wear no tall hats, and no shirts to our backs,
And its seldom we have any cash.
We always bring out the new fashions,
While others, they stick to the old,
And though we are just twenty-seven,
We are handsome, stout-hearted, and bold.
Chorus:
For we’ll sing “Tra-la-la”, as we walk down the street,
For style and perfection, we ne’er can be beat,
All the ladies declare that we are a treat,
We’re the two Rochdale Mashers, from off Yorkshire Street.
For we dance, and we sing, and we don’t care a jot, we’re a jolly fine lot,
We’re alright, when we’re tight, and we’re jolly fine company.
Last Saturday we were invited,
To the “Roebuck” by two ladies fair,
Their cheeks were in bloom, like the roses in June,
As we danced with that beautiful pair;
There was dancing and singing till midnight,
We had whisky, tobacco, and rum,
And after the dancing was over, with the ladies we had lots of fun.
Chorus:
For we’ll sing “Tra-la-la” as we walk down the street,
For style and perfection, we ne’er can be beat,
All the ladies declare that we are a treat,
We’re the two Rochdale Mashers from off Yorkshire Street.
For we dance, and we sing, and we don’t care a lot, we’re a jolly fine lot,
We’re alright, when we’re tight, and we’re jolly fine company.
Traditional,
Arrangement © Oldham Tinkers
At the end of the nineteenth century, a successful music-hall song concerned two young provincial bucks, “The Brothers Malone”. Since then, the song has passed into traditional currency, with the scene of the of the brothers’ raffish exploits variously altered to Belfast, Bristol, Ashton, and finally, Rochdale. It hardly matters. The song fits any place where the beer is bright and the girls are buxom. As in Rochdale. The song, a great favourite of Gerry and Larry’s uncle Joe, who came from Royton, between Oldham and Rochdale, so since “The Oldham Mashers” is never sung, uncle Joe sang: “The Rochdale Mashers”.
First recorded and published by Topic Records 1974.
Album: BEST O’T’ BUNCH 12TS237 STEREO
Recorded at Livingstone Studios
Produced by Tony Engle
Notes by A. L. Lloyd and The Oldham Tinkers
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
Album: BEST O’T’ BUNCH 12TS237 STEREO
Recorded at Livingstone Studios
Produced by Tony Engle
Notes by A. L. Lloyd and The Oldham Tinkers
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