Written unknown Lyricist(s) anonymous | Published traditional Language English (Geordie) | |
Wor Geordie's lost his penka (or …his liggie) is a famous Geordie folk song, the origins of which are unknown. It has been a favourite with musicians and young children for over a century. The song appears with different words in many parts of the United Kingdom and in the United States.
Contents
Lyrics
The full version is as follows, though not all verses are found in early editions:
Hey, wor Geordie's lost 'is penka
Wor Geordie's lost 'is penka
Wor Geordie's lost 'is penka
Doon the double raw
And he couldn't find his penka (×3)
(etc.)
Well, it ralled reet doon the koondy
So he's gone ta fetch a claes prop
And he rammed it up the koondy
But the claes prop wad na' fetch it
So he's gone ta fetch a terrier
And he tied it to the claes prop
And he shooved it up the koondy
But the terrier wad na' fetch it
Naa he's gone ta fetch a wee bairn
And he tied it to the claes prop
And he shooved it up the koondy)
But still it wad na' fetch it
So he's gone ta get goon pooda
And he poured it up the koondy
Then he set fire to the pooda
Hey, wor Geordie's foond 'is penka
It was in his trouser pooket
It was in his trouser pooket
It was in his trouser pooket
And he's blon the double raw.
Regional variations
Several Northern Ireland versions from Belfast have "Wee Willie lost his marley" with either "Down by the Old Mill Road", "…the Springfield Road" or "…the Shankill Road". A Glasgow version is "Wee Johnny's lost his jaurie" with often "Doon the Broomielaw". An alternative set of words is "The school lum [chimney] went on fire". In the Black Country it becomes "Our kid's lost his glarney". Versions sung in the South of England and the USA use the Standard English word "marble".
Glossary
Geordie dialect words used in the song:
blon = blown (up)
claes prop = clothesline pole
doon = down
double raw = double row of terrace houses with a gutter (or drainage) running down the middle of the path/roadway at the back and between the two
fetch = reach
foond = found
Geordie = boys name dialect for George
goon pooda = gunpowder
koondy = storm drain
na = not
penka or penker, liggie or liggy = marble, most likely not glass but a steel ball bearing obtained from mining equipment
pooket = pocket
ralled = rolled
reet = right
shooved = shoved
ta = to
tarrier = toasting fork (terrier [dog] is a late misunderstanding)
wad = would
wee bairn = small child
wor = our