Lyr Req: Gerrin' wed

Subject: Gerrin' wed
From: GUEST,Paul Twynam
Date: 03 Jun 01 - 02:38 PM

Does anyone have the lyrics of the Lancashire dialect song/monologue Gerrin' Wed? It starts (the spelling is my phonetical interpretation) "They cart em up to Carbury Stop, when al lis done and said, wharrever comes wharrever goes young folks keep gerrin' wed..."

Subject: Lyr Add: GETTIN' WED (C A Clarke, Harry Boardman)
From: Snuffy
Date: 04 Jun 01 - 07:45 PM

GETTIN' WED
(Words C A Clarke; tune Harry Boardman)

It corn't be helped, it corn't be stopped
When aw is done an' said
Whatever comes whatever goes
Young folks keep gettin' wed
Owd folk may kindly caution 'em
An' marriage woes proclaim
But young uns taks no heed of 'em
They just get wed awt' same

Young chaps feel lonely by theirsels
So does young women too
Therefore they go and tee theirsels
In knots they corn't undo.
But stil I wish aw happiness
On' mony a sunny way
To th'gradely lad an' bonny lass
That's reached their weddin' day.

Let each ha' t'other's confidence
An' may they never clem;
May they allus trust each other
E'en if t'grocer weren't trust them
May aw their life be good an' sweet
One endless towfymoon
No fawin' out - especially if
They're up in a balloon

Here's joy to 'em, here's luck to 'em
At booard an' at bed
May they never know that they are born
Still less that they are wed
And so I end this jolly rhyme
In a wish we all may share -
Th' best of health, an enoof o' wealth
To th' newly married pair.

Recorded by Harry Boardman on Deep Lancashire, Topic 12T188, 1968, and published in Folk Songs and Ballads of Lancashire, compiled and edited by Harry and Lesley Boardman, Oak Publications 1973. ISBN 0 86001 027 9

The sleeve notes on the Deep Lancashire LP say:

This wry congratulatory song was written by Allen Clarke, who wrote under various pen-names such as Speedwell, Capanbells, etc., but who was more popularly known as 'Teddy Ashton'.
Clarke was born at Bolton in 1863. The son of cotton operatives, he founded 'Labour Light', the first Labour paper in Lancashire (1891). He also founded at various times @Bolton Trotter', 'Cotton Factory Times' and 'Teddy Ashton's Journal' (1896). Although Allen Clarke was a serious political writer, he made time to write many humorous sketches and poems. 'Gettin' Wed' is not only typical Teddy Ashton, but typical straight-faced Lancashire Humour. The tune adapted by Harry Boardman.

I can post a MIDItext and abc of the tune if you want it, Paul.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gerrin' wed
From: Big Tim
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 05:07 AM

Check out also the Oysterband's "Blood Wedding".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gerrin' wed
From: roopoo
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 01:31 AM

I have recited this at 3 weddings so far, plus writing the words out on a card for another friend's wedding, and Bill Sables has done it at one too, this year!

The words on "Deep Lancashire" are ever so slightly different, but not too much: just the odd word here and there.

Andrea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gerrin' wed
From: Snuffy
Date: 06 Jun 01 - 08:11 AM

I suppose Boardman's recording on "Deep Lancashire" was subject to the folk process, but that he used Clarke's actual words when he published the book.

Wassail! V