JANNOCK!

Songs, Dances and Romances of the Striding Dales

4.Lord George (trad.)


And I'd walk from here to Skipton, ten miles o' clawt an' rain,
If I could see him face to face, I'd thank him for his pain,
Cos he took me out o' t' workhaase, give me life as free,
Five shillings a week for cheatin' death, is what Lord George gave me...


He gave me leet an' firin', flour to make me bread,
Tea to mash with any meal, I'll sup until I'm dead,
An' I've nowt to do but thank him, make a cross with t' pen,
Five shilling a week for dodgin' death, why he's the best of men!


If my old man were livin', he'd say that I spoke true,
He never did like that Liberal lot, he allus voted blue,
An' the parson's wife she told me, we'll soon be goin' to poll,
Well I heard she's reight, I'll vote for George, with all me heart an' soul.

Now I don't think much of politics, but I do love that Lord,
He spends his savings like a king, while other foaks do hoard,
An I know a lot of fellows sees not my point of view,
Old George he has not prospered them to buy a sup o' beer


I don't know wheer he comes from, 'appen it's dahn Leeds way,
But every neet an' mornin' now, for his long life I'll pray,
Cos he took me out o' t' workhouse, gave me life as free,
Five shillin' a week for cheatin' death, is what Lord George gave me.....


Traditional Dales Song

This is an old Dales song about the introduction of the Old Age Pension. ‘Lord George’ is of course ‘Lloyd George’, but the singer of this song is so parochial he imagines his benefactor to be a kind old tory aristocrat who has funded it all out of his own pocket!

Jim Jarratt. Mytholmroyd. 2006

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Copyright Jim Jarratt. 2006