Blaydon Races Gets Special Treatment On Saturday!
Last updated : 21 August 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor
Danby sung the Geordie classic before Newcastle United took on Sunderland in April, and his rendition went down so well he has been brought back for a repeat performance.
"Blaydon Races" is the famous Geordie music hall song written by Geordie Ridley, and was performed for the first time when Ridley sang the song at a concert in Balmbra's Music Hall on 5 June 1862.
It has been the unofficial anthem of Newcastle United for generations.
BLAYDON RACES:
Aw went to Blaydon Races, 'twas on the ninth of Joon,
Eiteen hundred an' sixty-two, on a summer's efternoon;
Aw tyuk the 'bus frae Balmbra's, an' she wis heavy laden,
Away we went alang Collingwood Street, that's on the road to Blaydon. (chorus)
Oh lads, ye shud only seen us gannin',
Passin the foaks alang the road just as they wor stannin';
Thor wes lots o' lads an' lasses there, all wi' smiling faces,
Gannin alang the Scotswood Road, to see the Blaydon Races.
We flew past Airmstrang's factory, and up to the "Robin Adair",
Just gannin' doon te the railway bridge, the 'bus wheel flew off there.
The lasses lost their crinolines, an' the veils that hide their faces,
Ah got two black eyes an' a brokken nose in gan te Blaydon Races.
(chorus)
When we gat the wheel put on away we went agyen,
But them that had their noses broke they cam back ower hyem;
Sum went to the Dispensary an' uthers to Doctor Gibbses,
An' sum sought out the Infirmary to mend their broken ribses.
(chorus)
Noo when we gat to Paradise thor wes bonny gam begun;
Thor was fower-an-twenty on the 'bus, man, hoo they danced an' sung;
They called on me to sing a sang, ah sung them "Paddy Fagan",
Ah danced a jig an' swung my twig that day ah went to Blaydon.
(chorus)
We flew across the Chain Bridge reet into Blaydon toon,
The bellman he was callin' there, they call him Jackie Broon;
Aw saw him talkin' to sum cheps, an' them he was pursuadin'
To gan an' see Geordy Ridley's concert in the Mechanics' Haal at Blaydon.
(chorus)
The rain it poor'd aal the day an' myed the groons quite muddy,
Coffy Johnny had a white hat on - they war shootin' "Whe stole the cuddy."
There wes spice stalls an' munkey shows an' aud wives selling ciders,
An' a chep wiv a hapenny roond aboot, shootin' "Noo, me boys, for riders."
(chorus)
The song is now usually sung with slightly more modern language. The modern chorus would now typically be:
Oh! me lads, ye shud a' seen us gannin,
Passin' the folks upon the road just as they were stannin'.
Thor wis lots o' lads and lasses there, all wi' smiling faces
Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road to see the Blaydon Races.
"Airmstrang's factory" was a large engineering works at Elswick, which made large guns and other firearms. The "Robin Adair" was a pub on Scotswood Road which has since been demolished. Paradise is a suburb of Newcastle.
The Blaydon Race is a 5.7 mile athletics race from Newcastle to Blaydon that takes place on June 9 every year and starts off with the singing of The Blaydon Races, as the words are used as the basis for the whole race.
