“Swalwell Hopping”

Description

"Lads! myek a ring An' hear huz sing The sport we had at Swalwell, O." The singer tells of a wild day at the market. He lists the various people they saw along the way. After a day of revelry, "We staggered ahint se merry, O."

Supplemental text

Swalwell Hopping
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

From Stokoe/Reay, Songs and Ballads of Northern England, pp. 27-29.
Stanza 1.

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

(8 additional stanzas)

Notes

Swallwell Hoppin' was apparently a large and successful market in the time of author Selkirk (1783-1843), but by the late nineteenth century, according to Stokoe, it had nearly dwindled away. - RBW

References

1. Stokoe/Reay, pp. 27-29, "Swallwell Hopping" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. ST StoR027 (Partial)
3. Roud #3054
4. BI, StoR027