Bob Cranky's Adieu (On going with the Volunteer Association from Gateshead to Newcastle, on permanent Duty) is a Geordie folk song written in the 19th century by John "Jack" Shield, in a style deriving from music hall.
It was estimated that more than 5,000 men took part, some from regular regiments and many more came from the local militia, some from villages many miles away.
They were being placed on three weeks "permanent duty" to guard the town "against an attack from Napoleon and the French“ and had marched into Newcastle on Sunday 5 June.
Come, ho'way get a jill o' beer, Thy heart to cheer: An' when thou sees me mairch away, Whiles in, whiles out O' step, nae doot, "Bob Cranky's gane," thou'lt sobbing say, "A sowgering to Newcassel!!"
It's but for yen and twenty days, The foulks's een aw'l dazzle, -- Prood, swagg'ring i' my fine reed claes: Ods heft!
sae strange a seet, Ma een wi' joy wad dazzle; But aw'll hed spent that varra neet -- For money, hinny!
owre neet to keep, Wad brick ma sleep: Sae, smash!
if the time seems lang, An' thou freets about me neet an' day; Then come away, Seek out the yell-house where aw stay, An' we'll kiss and cuddle; An' mony a fuddle Sall drive the langsome hours away, When sowgering at Newcassel!.
Some of the most common are listed below :- Generally an, and aw'l and aw'll baccy and backy becrike and belike binny and hinny Blue Styen of the Brig to blue stane o' the brig – various changes between these two including use of capital letters breer and breet come'ly and comely een and e'en every and ivery farewheel and fare-weel folks's, foulk's and foulks's forc'd and fourc'd gane and gyen gill and jill ginny and guinea goon and gown ha'e and hev hoose and house Is'bel Mackey and Isbel Macky langsome and lonesome lood and loud ma, maw and my marchin', marchin' and marching meesl and mysel' mine and thy ods and odds oot and out sairgent's, sairjeant's and sairjent's sall and shall sougerin' soujerin', sowgerin' and sowjerin' (with and without apostrophe or "g" at the end) swagg'rin' and swagg'ring take and tyek thee and thy think'st and thinks't thoo and thou varra, verra and very wad and will warse and waurse whuslin' and wusslin' yammerin' and yammering To follow