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John Chinaman hes cum te spy
Wor canny Northern toon,
Wi’ flatten’d fyece, an’ funny eye,
An’ skin ov olive broon,
An’ stumpy feet, an’ lang pig-tails
An’ claes o’ clooty blue,
Alang wor street he slawly trails,
Just like a live yule doo.

John Chinaman, John Chinaman,
What hew ye cum te see?
What de ye think o’ wor toon lads?
Hoo de ye like wor Quay?

Hev ye been to the Market yit,
Wor cabbages te see,
Or “get a puddin’ nice an’ het,”
Or hev a cup o’ tea?
Or hev ye been te th’ cutler’s there
Te get yor-sel a knife,
Or stroll’d th’ length o’ filly fair
To choose yor-sel a wife?

Composed by James Horsley in 1881. Arranged and performed by W.T. Duggan.

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This nursery song is thoroughly local, and dates from the beginning of the early 1800s. (John Stokoe, Songs and Ballads of Northern England, Walter Scott Ltd, London and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1882)

Me laddie sits ower late up,
Me laddie sits ower late up,
Me laddie sits ower late up,
With the pint pot and the cup.

How! Johnnie, come hame to your bairn,
How! Johnnie, come hame to your bairn,
How! Johnnie, come hame to your bairn,
Wiv a rye loaf under your airm

He addles three ha’pence a week,
That’s nobbut a farthin a day,
He sits wiv his pipe in his cheek,
And he fuddles his money away.

Me laddie is never the near,
My hinney is never the near,
When ah cry out “me lad cum hame,”
He calls oot again for mair beer.

Words, music and images by W.T. Duggan

A classic Tyneside song written by legendary music hall performer Edward (Ned) Corvin in 1862, re-arranged in chill-out style by W.T. Duggan.

Legend has it that when Napoleon threatened to invade England, the fishermen of Hartlepool seized the only survivor of a shipwreck – a Monkey – and hung him on suspicion of being a French spy!

LYRICS
In former times ‘mid war and strife,
The French invasion threatened life,
And all was armed te the knife,
The Fishermen hung the Monkey, O!

The Fishermen with courage high,
Seized the Monkey for a spy.
Hang him says yen says another he’ll die
And they did they hung the Monkey O!

Dooram a dooram a dooram a da,
Dooram a dooram a da.

They tried every means te make him speak,
They tortured the Monkey till loud he did squeek.
Says one that’s French, says another it’s Greek.
For the Fishermen then got drunkey, O!

He’s hair all over some chaps did cry,
He’s up to something cute and sly,
With a cod’s head then they closed an eye,
Afore they hung the Monkey, O!

(Ladies and cheps, a chorus this time to mark our disprobashion at the pugnacious Fishermen for closing the ogle of the unfortunate Monkey.)

Dooram a dooram a dooram a da,
Dooram a dooram a da.
Dooram a dooram a dooram a da,
Dooram a dooram a da.

Some, the Monkey’s fate they did bewail.
For all the speechless pug had his tale.
He’d have been better off in Durham jail.
For the Monkey was torn and funky, O!
The monkey was torn and funky, O!

Then he made some curious mugs,
When they shaved his head and they cut off his lugs,
Saying that’s the game for French humbugs,
Afore they hung the Monkey,
O! Afore they hung the Monkey O!

(Now let’s have a chorus in consideration of the removal and total annihilation of the Monkey’s auricular organ by all who have an ear for gorilla sensations.)

Hammer his ribs, the thundering thief,
Pummel his pyet with your knife,
He’s landed here for nobbit grief,
He’s old Napoleon’s Uncky, O!

Thus to the Monkey all hands behaved.
Cut off his whiskers, one chap raved.
Another bawled out he’s never been shaved,
So they commenced to scrape the Monkey, O!

Lather and shave him.
Dooram-a-dooram.
Dorram-a-dooram-da.
Dooram-a-dooram.

Now let us hope that ever at sea
We’ll still maintain sovereignty.
May France and England long agree.
And never at each other get funky.
And never at each other get funky.

As regards poor Pug I’ve had my say,
His times have past for many, many a day.
But in Hartlepool now you’ll hear the lads say

We hung the Monkey, O! (x8)

Dooram a dooram a dooram a da,
Dooram a dooram a da.
Dooram a dooram a dooram a da,
Dooram a dooram a da.

Words by Edward Corvin, 1862
Music composed, arranged and recorded by WT Duggan