Eliza And Martin Carthy - Bonny Moorhen Lyrics
You brave lads of Weardale, I pray lend an earThe account of a battle you quickly shall hearFought by the miners so well you may kenClaimin' a right 2 their bonny moorhenNow this bonny moorhen, as she plainly appearedBelonged 2 the miners some hundreds of yearsThe miners of Weardale they're all gallant menThey'll fight till they die for their bonny moorhenNow the miners in Weardale, they're bred 2 the gameLevel their piece & make sure of their aim;When the bonny moorhen she mounts up in the airThey will bring her down neatly, I vow & declareNow, times bein' hard, provisions bein' dearThe miners were starvin' almost we do hearThey'd nought 2 depend on, so well you may kenBut 2 make what they could of their bonny moorhenBut the fat man of Auckland & Durham the sameLaid claim 2 the moors & likewise 2 the gameSent word 2 the miners they'd have them 2 kenThey would stop them from shootin' the bonny moorhenNow these word was carried 2 Weardale with speed,It made those poor miners 2 hang down their headsSent them an answer they'd have them 2 kenThey would fight till they died for their bonny moorhenWhen this word it reached 2 the gentlemen’s earsAn army was risen, it quickly appearsLand stewards, bum bailiffs, & gamekeepers 2Were all ordered 2 Weardale 2 fight their way throughNow a captain was wanted at the head of the clanH Wye, of great Oakland, was choosed for their manHis legs were 2 short & not fit for the stocks& his head not so hard for 2 suffer the knocksThis captain he had an attack dog of his ownTaught by her master 'twas very well knownEither beggars or tinkers, she'll pull off their bags& if that would not do she would rive them 2 ragsNow this army set out straight away as we hearH Wye in the front, attack dog in the rearThey marched on 2 Wolsingham, then they made a haltConcernin' the battle began 2 consultFor they heard that the miners' grand army was strong& the captain that led them was full six foot longThat put H Wye in a bodily fear& back great Oakland he wished for 2 steerUp spoke the gamekeepers: cheer up, never fearThrough Stanhope, through Weardale the way we will clearIn Durham or Oakland we'll never have saidThat by a few miners our army was beatNow this battle was fought, fought in Stanhope townWhere the chimneys did reek & the soot it fell downSuch a battle was never fought in Stanhope before& I hope such a battle will never be fought moreFor they unhorsed the riders straightway on the plainH Wye & his attack dog in the battle was slainThem that ran fastest got pushed out of town& away they went home with their tails hangin' downNow the bonny moorhen, she's got feathers anewMany fine colors, & none of them blueThe miners of Weardale, they're all gallant menThey'll fight till they die for their bonny moorhen
