Written c1856 | Published c1858 | |
Keep yor feet still! Geordey, hinny is a famous Geordie comic song written in the 19th century by Joe Wilson, in a style deriving from music hall. Though the words were by Wilson, it is to be sung to the existing tune of "Nelly Gray" (also used for the Liverpool song "Maggie May")
Contents
Topic
At the time, many working men, particularly in the building and civil engineering trades, worked away from home. These were the labourers and navvies who built the railways and canals. They arranged for "digs" wherever the work was, and in most cases, because of the costs and savings available, they slept two or more to a bed. This song features two such Geordies who share a bed in a lodging house. One, Bob Johnson, is very unhappy with his mate Geordie for waking him up when in the middle of a dream about an elusive young maiden from back home, of whom he has high hopes. His dreams are disrupted at the end of each verse by the fidgeting “Geordie”.
Lyrics
Joe Wilson was probably the most prolific of the Geordie songwriters of the time. Many of his works were published in his book of Songs and Drolleries.
This version is as follows: