Social Commentaries

Baboon

by William Armstrong fl. 1842 (The Newcastle Song Book)

From The Newcastle Song Book (1842)

Social Commentaries

Sum time since, sum wild beasts there cam to the toon,
And in the collection a famous Baboon,
In uniform drest--if my story you're willin
To believe, he gat lowse, and ran te the High Fellin.
Fal de rol la, &c.

Three Pitmen cam up--they were smoking their pipe,
When straight in afore them Jake lowp'd ower the dike:
Ho, Jemmy! smash, marrow! here's a red-coated Jew,
For his fyece is a' hairy, and he hez on nae shoe!

Wey, man, thou's a fuil! for ye divent tell true,
If thou says 'at that fellow was ever a Jew:
Aw'll lay thou a quairt, as sure's my nyem's Jack,
That queer luikin chep's just a Russian Cossack.

He's ne Volunteer, aw ken biv his wauk;
And if he's outlandish, we'll ken biv his tauk:
He's a lang sword ahint him, ye'll see'd when he turns:
Ony luik at his fyece! smash his byens, how he gurns!

Tom flang doon his pipe, and set up a greet yell;
He's owther a spy, or Bonnypairty's awnsell:
Iv a crack the High Fellin was in full hue and cry,
To catch Bonnypairt, or the hairy French spy.

The wives scamper'd off for fear he should bite,
The men-folks and dogs ran te grip him se tight;
If we catch him, said they, he's hev ne lodging here,
Ne, not e'en a drop o' Reed Robin's sma' beer.

MLA

Armstrong, William. “Baboon.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/armstrong_w/0/.

Chicago

Armstrong, William. “Baboon.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/armstrong_w/0/.

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