Forging of My Scales

Lyrics

1
While forging of me scales an’ springs an’ blowin’ of me bellas
Another line or two I’ll pen about me shopmate Joe Ellis.
In makin’ flights an’ fishin’ ’ooks things allus go in t’ Darren (Derwent)
But I’ll nimbly trip it o’er yon moss till I comes to t’ River Darren

Chorus
Fal-the-dal, fal-the-dal, fal-daddle-diddle-di-do
I’ll nimbly trip it o’er yon moss till I comes to t’ River Darren.

2
The mornin’ fine slaps in me line as e’er the fish a graylin’,
For I’ll soon catch one by the snout, see ’ow ’e comes a-sailin’.
An’ lo an’ be’old thou must be sold, for me thou art so clever,
But if this line should chance to break thou may be gone for ever.

3
Another aisle or two I’ll try although I feel I’m slighted
An’ then I must be joggin’ ’ome or else I’ll be benighted.
The neighbours they come flockin’ in, the fish begin a-buyin’,
They’ll take ’em ’ome to gut an’ wesh an’ then begin a fryin’.

4
Some people they a-fishin’ go know little of the matter,
They toil an’ spend their time in vain a-floggin’ of the watter;
They’ll long an’ wish to catch fish but merely they will watch ’em;
They’ll bait ’em with a silver ’ook but ’e’s a workman that can catch ’em.

This is a traditional song about Yorkshire, collected in Yorkshire.

Provenance

This River Derwent nowadays runs into the Derwent Reservoir between Sheffield and Glossop. Undoubtedly this is another local dialect piece set to music judging by the references to ‘penning lines’. Roger took his version from his father’s singing, but not even Frank could remember where the song came from. When Frank died Roger was encouraged by collector Ian Russell to take up the family singing tradition and we are all grateful Roger rose to the challenge and is now a stalwart at  local festivals. His understated quiet voice, much like his father’s, deserves a much wider recognition. Festival organizers please take note.

Frank sang an extra line in the middle of stanza 3:

‘And when that Jose ’e does get ’ome unto ’is recreation’

which presents the possibility that there may have been more lines to it.

Very much a local song, we have come across no possible sources and no-one in the family knew where it came from.