Dalesman's Litany

This song started life as an exercise in writing poetry in Yorkshire dialect. It was written in 1900 by FW Moorman who was Professor of Engish at Leeds University. A while later, in the 1960s Dave Keddie wrote a beautiful melody for it. In 1968 Tim Hart and Maddy Prior recorded it on their album Folk Songs of Old England, which is where I fisrt encountered it. It's called The Dalesman's Litany. The auto generated transcript is a bit of a disaster so here are the actual lyrics! THE DALESMAN’S LITANY It’s hard when folks can’t find their work, where they’ve been bred and born. When I was young I always thought, I’d bide midst fruits and corn. But I’ve been forced to work in town, so here’s my litany, From Hull and Halifax and Hell, Good Lord deliver me. When I was courting Mary Jane, the Old Squire he said to me, “I’ve got no rooms for wedded folk, choose whether to go or to stay”. I could not give up the girl I loved so to town I was forced to flee, From Hull and Halifax and Hell, Good Lord deliver me. I’ve worked in Leeds and Huddersfield, and I’ve earned some honest brass. In Bradford, Keigthley, Rotherham, I’ve kept me bairns and lass. I’ve travelled all three Ridings round, and once I went to sea, From forges, mills and coalin’ boats, Good Lord deliver me. I’ve walked at night through Sheffield lanes, was just like bein’ in Hell. Where furnaces thrust out tongues of fire, and roared like the wind on the fell. I’ve dug up coals from Barnsley pit, with muck up to my knees, From Barnsley, Sheffield, Rotherham, Good Lord deliver me. I’ve seen fog creep across Leeds Bridge, as thick as the Bastille soup. I’ve lived where folks were stowed away like rabbits in a coup. I’ve seen snow float down Bradford Beck, as black as ebony, From Hunslett, Holbeck, Wibsey Slack, Good Lord deliver me. But now that all our children are gone, to the country we’ve come back. There’s forty miles of heathery moor, twixt us and the coalpit stack. And as I sit by my fire at night, I’ll laugh and shout with glee, From Hull and Halifax and Hell, the Good Lord delivered me.