1
‘Twas yance on a tahm about six i’ t’ morn,
When fost Ah saw leight, Ah means as Ah was born,
There was doctor and t’ noss and a gurt monny mair,
But neean on ‘em ‘ad seen sike a babby afoor.
Ah’d nase o’ me dad and t’ een o’ me mam,
Sae wi’ sleight altherations Ah very seean cam,
Wivoot onny doot or the sleightest o’ sham,
Ti be a most beautiful boy,
Oh, ti be a most beautiful boy.
2
Ti mak me a beauty, skriked out Missus Sneer,
‘’E’ll be tail-end o’ nowt wivout a sweet leer,’
Sae ti gi’ me this leer, why, yan on ‘em shouts out,
‘When ‘e’s tumbled asleep lig a weight on ‘is snout,’
Which set me ti wink an’ ti blink-o,
Whahl t’ ladies kenned not what ti think-o,
But the’ managed ti give me a squint-o,
An’ med me a beautiful boy,
Oh the’ med me a beautiful boy.
3
Now ti finish me off, why the’ needed yah thing,
Me gob ower straight were, Ah means fer ti sing,
Sae ti lug it an’ tug it all t’ lot on ‘em tried,
Why the’ stritched me poor gob ommast ‘arf a yard wide,
Shoutin’, ‘Pull away now, Missus Rider,
It’s stritchin a little bit wider,’
An’ Dolly ‘oo were stood close beside ‘er,
Ses, ‘Oh, what a beautiful boy!’
She ses, ‘Oh, what a beautiful boy!’
4
When the’d finished me off, why the’ sent me ti t’ school,
Lads an’ lasses all gawped as Ah sat on me stool,
An’ then the’ went ‘ome an’ the’ said as the’d seen
New lad at school wi’ sike beautiful een,
‘’E can leeak onny road an’ that’s ‘andy,
‘Is mouth’s just right shape ti suck candy,
Whahl ‘is legs is what you’d call bandy,
Gor, but ‘e’s a beautiful boy!’
The’ ses, ‘Gor, but ‘e’s a beautiful boy!’
5
Ah wor axed t’ uther day i’ t’ city ti dine,
T’ lasses i’ raptures all thowt me divine,
And as the’ gazed on me elegant grace,
Left their dinners alane fer ti gaze in me face,
Sayin’, ‘Oh, Ah s’all swoon wi’ surprise-o,
Sunleight can’t match ‘is dear eyes-o,
‘E’s sike a nice mouth fer mince pies,
Oh, kiss us, you beautiful boy!’
The’ ses, ‘Kiss us, you beautiful boy!’
6
Ah ses, ‘Lasses, beware of love’s piercin’ darts,
For fearful Ah be Ah s’all steal all your ‘earts,
An’ then, me dear lasses, why you’ll sob an’ you’ll sigh,
An’ when yer think on me charms whahl you’ll languish an’ die,
Ah can kiss but Ah can’t wed you all-o,
Though Ah wad if Ah could, gurt and small-o,
For Ah longs fer ti cuddle you all-o,
For tha sees Ah’s a beautiful boy,
Oh, tha sees Ah’s a beautiful boy.’
This is a traditional song
John got his version of this song straight from the pages of Richard Blakeborough’s ‘Yorkshire Wit, Character, and Folklore’ (p314) and set it to a variant of the ubiquitous ‘Villikins’ tune. Blakeborough collected it from Mr. Fossick of Carthorpe whose grandfather sang it when he was a boy. Hence Blakeborough dates it at about 1750, Mr. Fossick being born in the early nineteenth century. It is found on broadsides of the early nineteenth century, the earliest by Marshall of Newcastle, but both Harkness of Preston and Hoggett of Durham printed versions, and it was printed by both Catnach and Pitts in London. I also have a version in Fairburn’s Everlasting Songster of 1823 (p130) which indicates the air as ‘Ballinamorioro’, probably the Irish air ‘Ballynamona Ora’. The textual variation among these printed versions suggests Blakeborough’s dating would be about right.
Nigel Hudleston gives a version of the song in his ‘Songs of the Ridings’ (p101) taken from the same source as John’s version. Nigel has set it to what appears to be a tune based on ‘Turkey in the Straw’. A version not in Yorkshire dialect, in fact in standard English, is given in J. L. Hatton’s ‘Humorous Songs Old and New’ (p150) n.d. but c1880, similar to a version in Sam Cowell’s ‘120 Comic Songs’ (p48) c1860. Both have the same tune in 6/8 and neither attributes the song to anyone.