Geordie Ridley one of Geordielands most famous folk singers tells of the history of one of the most famous Geordie folk songs.
Now that you have learnt the history of the song, watch Jimmy Nail, Tim Healy & Kevin Whately Sing The Blaydon Races
I went to Blaydon Races,Twas on the ninth of June
Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Two on a summer’s afternoon
I took the bus from Balmbras and she was heavy laden
Away we went along Collingwood Street that’s on the Road to Blaydon
Oh me lads, you should’ve seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin’
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin’ faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races
We flew past Armstrong’s factory and up by the Robin Adair
But gannin ower the Railway Bridge the bus wheel flew off there
The lasses lost their crinolenes and veils that hide their faces
I got two black eyes and a broken nose in gannin to Blaydon Races
Oh me lads, you should’ve seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin’
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin’ faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races
Now when we got the wheel back on away we went again
But them that had their noses broke they went back ower hyem
Some went to the dispensary and some to Doctor Gibbses
And some to the infirmary to mend their broken ribses
Oh me lads, you should’ve seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin’
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin’ faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races
Now when we got to Paradise there were bonny games begun
There were four and twenty on the bus and how we danced and sung
They called on me to sing a song so I sang ‘em ‘Paddy Fagan’
I danced a jig and I swung me twig the day I went to Blaydon
Oh me lads, you should’ve seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin’
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin’ faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races
We flew across the Tyne Bridge and came to Blaydon Toon
The barman he was calling then they called him Jackie Broon
I saw him talking to some chaps and them he was persuadin’
To gan and see Geordie Ridley’s show at the Mechanics’ Hall in Blaydon
Oh me lads, you should’ve seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin’
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin’ faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races
The rain it poured down all the day and made the ground quite muddy
Coffee Johnny had a white hat on shouted ‘Wee stole the cuddy?’
There were spice stalls and monkey shows and old wives selling ciders
And the chap on the ha’penny roundabout saying ‘any more lads for riders?’
Oh me lads, you should’ve seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin’
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin’ faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races
5 comments
TREVOR REED
February 3, 2011 at 8:51 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Some lyrics are wrong and two verses are in the wrong order ie you couldn’t cross the chain bridge into Blaydon then in the next verse arrive at Paradise (Paradise row) as this ran off Scotswood road.
Geordie Directory
February 3, 2011 at 11:39 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Like that ?
John
January 16, 2011 at 12:39 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Love this song. Got it on cd in two different versions.
Interestingly this song belonged to one of Eric’c relative.
Carlena mythoughtsareracing.com
September 1, 2010 at 4:12 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
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August 31, 2010 at 8:18 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
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