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from Volkslieder (Folksongs)

Clapham Town End
Language: English 
At Clapham Town end lived an Old Yorkshire tyke
Who i dealing i horseflesh had ne'er met his like.
'Twas his pride that i aw the hard bargains he'd hit
He'd bit a good mony but but nivver been bit.
Chorus
 Wi' me dum a dum dary,
 Dum a dum dary,
 Dum a dum dary,
 Dum a dum day.

This old Tommy Tavers (by that name he was known)
Had an old carrion bit that was sheer skin and bone.
To hgave killed him for the curs would have been quite as well,
But 'twas Tommy's opinion he'd die off himsel',
(Chorus)

Well, one Abie Muggins, a neighbouring cheat,
Though to diddle old Tommy would be a great treat;
He'd a horse, too, 'twas worse than old Tommy's, you see,
For tonight he'd thought that he would proper to dee.
(Chorus)

Thinks Abie: "Th' old codger'll never smoke the trick:
"I'll swap with him my poor dead horse for his quick,
"And if Tommy, I'm nobbered can happen to trap,
"'Twill be a fine feather in Abraham's cap."
(Chorus)

So to Tommy he goes, and to Tommy he pops:
"Between my horse and thine prithee Tommy would swaps.
"What will give me to boot, for mine th' better horse feel?"
"Not," says Tommy, "I'll swap even hands and ye will!"
(Chorus)

Abie preached a long time about something to boot,
Insisting that his was the liveliest brute.
But Tommy stuck fast where first had begun,
Till Abie shook hands and said: "Well, Tommy, done."
(Chorus)

"Oh, Tommy," says Abie, "I sorry for thee,
"I thought thou'd 'a had a more white in thy 'ee:
"Good luck in thy bargain, for my horse is dead."
"Hey," says Tommy, "me lad, so is mine, and it's flaid!"
(Chorus)

So Tommy got the better of the bargain of asked,
And came off with a Yorkshireman's triumph at last.
For though 'twixt dead horses there's not much to choose,
Yet Tommy was richer by the hide and four shoes.
(Chorus)

Note: on Elgar's score, the following remark appears beside the first line of the first instance of the chorus: "Ambling of the mouldy steed."


Text Authorship:

  • from Volkslieder (Folksongs)  [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "Clapham Town End", 1890, harmonisation of an old Yorkshire folk song [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-02-05
Line count: 44
Word count: 350

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