TONY WILSON FOLK SONG FROM THE NORTH EAST "THE LAMBTON WORM"

A dialect story song from around the River Wear, about a myth from the North East of England about a huge 'worm' or serpent that was caught by Lord Lambton and cast down a well in County Durham. While he went to fight in the Crusades it grew and devoured everything that it could. He heard of the monster and returned and killed it. The legend goes that since he didn't follow the instructions to the letter to kill it, every male member of the line of Lambton was doomed and cursed to an untimely end.
"Whisht" means be quiet and listen.
"Haad Ya Gobs" means hold your mouth and be silent.
"He couldn't Fash to Carry it hyem" means he couldn't be bothered to bring it home.
There are many different terms of local dialect that are not as frequently used as in the past but they colour this old song beautifully.
When I was younger this was the kind of song that we were made to sing at school so it has taken a long time to review and regard its merits as a good bit of local legend wrapped in an enjoyable, catchy song

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• storyteller
• writer
• story
• tony
• wilson
• north
• east
• geordie
• song
• lambton
• worm

[thebanj]

I wasn't deliberately hiding the left hand... just the way the camera was angled.

I have been toying with the idea of doing a DADGAD tutorial so I'll see what I can do. Tony ...

[thebanj]

You are so kind for commenting like this.

Tony

[flakelorenz02]

I'm from Sunderland and I don't understand a single line of this song. This song always bewilered me when I was a kid as it was wrote on boards around a playground I used to go to.

Anyways the performance was good.

[thebanj]

@flakelorenz02 I've got feeling some of it is in English but I'm not sure which bits.

Tony Thanks for the comment

[thebanj]

FROM THE BANJ

This is not a forum for people to send abusive messages about who or what constitutes any part of the North. It is a song from the North and I love my Northern roots, as well as the rest of the country.

[thebanj]

Correct. As with any tale there are conflicting ideas as to the 'exact' locations. I think the song sort of swung it, and even then there are conflicting reports of just how many times it 'lapped its tail' from 3 to 10. Which is probably the odds of us every 'really' knowing which place is correct.

I am going to re-tell the story in Washington by Worm Hill.

Thanks for your comment

Tony

[Cannychanta]

I´ve got a mate here in Germany from Derry who does this song with a perfect Geordie accent that he learned when he was a young man playing the Northeast club circuit. You did a fine job on it Tony.

[TheMakemFolksinger]

brillant just love it, cheers The Makem Folk Singer

[cudleycamerondudley]

hi there! I would very much like to learn this tune the way you play it, could you do it again but do it so we can see your left hand? cheers buddy! keep up te good work

[TheMakemFolksinger]

like it great stuf Tonyf, me being a makem lad, i write up to date folk songs about my life living in Sunderland, your a great singer and guitar palyer, if you get a chance Tony please do check my new song out " Black Gold" it'sabout me collecting coal as a lad to keep me family warm in the 60s, i have got lots of more songs i will be uploading soon, unfortantly 'im new to the folk music, so I need a few people to help me get my songs heard. cheers Dave Murray,

[petenvee]

I saw this 'performed' at a party consisting of a load of bootnecks doon in St.Just, Cornwall. It was brilliantly done by a true Geordie lad, wi' geet big googly eyes, bristling moostache, and a pint of Hicks' special in both hands. Bloody wonderful. I swore then that if ever I left the far S.W of Cornwall, I would liketo live in the far N.E, and so I am now, for more than 10 years, and LOVE it here. Cornwall is just a memory, but so is yesterday.

[leeg2k2]

Tony is a beast, your my hero Tony!

[Anglo1st]

How man git good song like! We knah hoow ta talk propper, it's them wee talk funny man. Ya knah wee a meen! them from doon sooth.

[XCaedmonX]

This is great, thanks very much for uploading. We used to sing this in school! Very nicely performed.

[1iangabriel]

Excellent song, I remember it from My youth on a 78rpm record. So glad I have the chance to hear it again. Never knew what it was about but loved it!