The Lambton Worm
This remains one of the most popular Tyneside songs and one of my own favourites.. Lord Lambton's estate is just outside Sunderland in County Durham, and features the landmark of Penshaw Hill, which now has a copy of an ancient Greek temple on top (built to give employment and as a "folly" in the 19th century). Penshaw Hill can be seen for many miles to the west.
RB
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One Sunday mornin' Lambton went a-fishin' in the Wear;
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An' catched a fish upon he's heuk,
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He thowt leuk'd varry queer,
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But whatt'n a kind ov fish it was
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Young Lambton cuddent tell
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He waddn't fash te carry'd hyem,
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So he hoyed it in a well.
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Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs
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An' Aa'll tell ye all an aaful story,
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Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
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An' Aa'll tell ye 'boot the woorm.
Noo Lambton felt inclined te gan
An' fight i' foreign wars.
He joined a troop ov knights that cared
For nowther woonds nor scars,
An' off he went te Palestine
Where queer things him befel,
An varry seun forgat aboot
The queer worm i' the well.
Chorus:
But the woorm got fat an' growed an' growed,
An' growed an aaful size;
He'd greet big teeth, a greet big gob,
An' greet big goggle eyes.
(- or: greet big googley eyes)
An' when at neets he craaled aboot
Te pick up bits o' news,
If he felt dry upon the road,
He milked a dozen coos.
Chorus:
This feorful woorm would often feed
On caalves an' lambs an' sheep,
An' swally little bairns alive
When they laid doon te sleep.
An' when he'd eaten aall he cud
An' he had had he's fill,
He craaled away an' lapped he's tail
Ten times roond Pensher Hill.
Chorus:
The news of this myest aaful woorm.
An' his queer gannins on
Seun crossed the seas, gat te the ears
Ov brave an' bowld Sor John.
So hyem he cam an' catched the beast
An' cut 'im in twe haalves,
An' that seun stopped he's eatin' bairns
An' sheep an' lambs an' caalves.
Chorus:
So noo ye knaa hoo aall the foakes
On byeth sides ov the Wear
Lost lots o' sheep an' lots o' sleep
An' leeved i' mortal feor.
So let's hev one te brave Sor John
That Kept the bairns frae harm,
Saved coos an' calves my myekin' haalves
O' the famis Lambton Woorm.
Noo lads, Aa'll haad me gob,
That's aal Aa knaa aboot the story
Ov Sor John's clivvor job
Wi' the aaful Lambton Woorm.
'The Lambton Worm' was written by CM Leumand, and first sung in a Pantomime at the Old Tyne Theatre in 1867
Translation notes:
Worm is an old word for dragon - there is also a related word Orm used in different parts of the country.
"He waddn't fash te carry'd hyem,"
He couldn't be bothered to carry it home
So he hoyed it in a well.
So he threw it down a well
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs
Whisht! - Be quiet!, haad yor gobs - literally- Hold your mouths
An' swally little bairns alive
And swallow little children alive
Note that (John) Lambton goes off and becomes a knight in the crusades - he thus comes back as Sir John, and cuts the Worm into twe (two) halves. I have often heard this line as "three halves" - which has a certain charm to it!
Foakes - folks - ie people