Swalwell Hopping

"Swalwell Hopping"
Song
Language	English (Geordie)
Written	c. 1807
Published	1840
Songwriter(s)	John Selkirk

"Swalwell Hopping" is a Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by John Selkirk, in a style deriving from music hall.

This piece tells of the many a funny prank being played by the Crowley's Crew, (workers who appear in other writings of the time), and mentioning (fictitious) characters like Knack-kneed Mat, Slavering Nell, Gyetside Jack, and Willayton Dan. It turns into (almost) a celebration of Crowley's Crew.

The song was later printed in 1840 and later in 1899 in the 198-page book "Songs and Ballads of Northern England" collected and edited by John Stokoe. It was published by W. Scott of Newcastle upon Tyne. The lyrics for "Swalwell Hopping Air – Paddy's Wedding":

Verse 1
LADS! myek a ring
An' hear huz sing
The sport we had at Swalwell, O;
Wor merry play
O' th' Hoppen' Day,
Ho'way, marrows, an' aw'll tell ye, O.
The sun shines warm on Whickham Bank,
Let's aw lye doon at Dolly's O,
An' hear 'boot monny a funny prank
Played by the lads at Crowley's O.

Chorus:
A type of "O' Fal lal the dal la" type chorus

Verse 2
There was Sam, O zoons,
Wiv 'is pantaloons,
An' gravat up ower his gobby, O;
An' Willie, thou
Wi' th' jacket blue,
Thou was the varra Bobby, O.
There was knack-kneed Mat, wiv's purple suit,
An' hopper-hipp'd Dick, aw yellow, O;
Greet Tom was there, wi' Hepple's and coat,
An' buck-sheen'd Bob frae Stella, O.

Verse 3
When we wor drest,
It was confest,
We shem'd the cheps frae Newcassel O;
So away we set
To wor toon gyet,
To jeer them aw as they pass'd us O.
We shouted some we some dung doon
Lobstrop 'lus fellows we kick'd them O;
Some culls went hyem, some crush'd to toon,
Some gat aboot by Whickham, O.

Verse 4
The spree com on
The hat was won
By carrot-pow'd Jenny's Jackey, O.
What a fyece, begok !
Had buckle-mouth'd Jock,
When he twin'd his jaws for the baccy, O.
The kilted lasses fell tid pel-mell,
Wi'—Tally-i-o the Grinder, O;—
The smock was gi'en to slaverin Nell
Ye'd dropp'd had ye been behind her, O.

Verse 5
Wor dance began
Aw'd buck-tyuthed Nan,
An' Geordy thou'd Jen Collin, O;
While the merry black,
Wi' monny a crack,
Set the tamboreen a-rolling, O.
Like wor forge-hammer, we bet se true,
An' shuk Raw's hoose se soundly, O;
Tuff canna cum up wi' Crowley's crew,
Nor thump the tune se roundly, O.

Verse 6
Then Gyetside Jack,
Wiv's bloody back,
Wad dance wi' goggle-ey'd Molly, O;
But up cam Nick,
An' gav' him a kick.
An' a canny bit kind of a fally, O.
That day a' Hawks's blacks may rue
They gat monny a varry sair clanker, O;
Can they de owse wi' Crowley's crew,
Frev a needle tiv an anchor, O.

Verse 7
What's that to say
To the bonny fray,
We had wi' skipper Robin, O;
The keel bullies aw,
Byeth greet an' sma',
Myed a beggarly tide o' the hoppen, O.
Gleed Will cried "Ma-a", up lup awd Frank,
An' Robin that marry'd his dowter, O;
We hammer'd their ribs like an anchor shank,
They fand it six weeks after, O.

Verse 8

Bald-pyet Jone Carr
Wad hav a bit spar,
To help his marrows away wid, O,
But poor awd fellow,
He'd getten ower mellow,
So we down'd byeth him an' Davy, O.
Then Petticoat Robin jumppt up agyen,
Wiv's gully to marcykree huz, Aw;
But Willayton Dan laid him flat wiv a styen,
Hurro ! for Crowley's crew, boys, Aw.

Verse 9
Their hash was sattled,
So off we rattled,
An' we jigged it up se hearty, O;
Wi' monny a shiver,
An' lowp se clivvor,
Can Newcassel turn oot sic a party, O?
When wheit dyun ower the fiddlers went,
We stagger'd ahint se merry, O,
An' thro' wor toon, till fairly spent,
Roar'd, "Crowley's crew an' glory, O"

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