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

[@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.

[@SimonX]

It was pleasant to view this, being Penshaw born and bred, it brings back memories of when I were a bairn. Thank you for the moment of nostalgia.

[@RicardoGreen2008]

Tony: What a marvelous spirit in song manifest ed also through storytelling so moving for all of my speech communication students of New York City, whether East Harlem; Flushing, Queens; Sunset Park, Brooklyn; Midtown Manhattan; or, the Midwood Section of Brooklyn... Your storytelling and song hits our hearts and homes. Thank you so much, You are a Blessing, Richard Green

[@RicardoGreen2008]

Tony: As you resurrect these songs,Whist! lads,... you teach lessons which transcend the geography of local varieties of spoken English to encompass a universality of experience teaching us the power of listening from experience analogous to the deeds committed and repeated over again in your excellent retelling, sung, here. Richard

[@davehodgson4195]

Fantastic stuff. Love this song.

[@thebanj]

I am so pleased that you liked this and that it brought back such good memories. Have a look at some of the other North Eastern songs that I have on the channel. Thanks again for your encouraging comments. Tony

[@steen1976]

Brilliant mate. Thanks for this!

[@leeg2k2]

Tony is a beast, your my hero Tony!

[@fakethislifers]

ZOMG! The Lambton Worm! I used to have to sing this at school, being a Mackem and all, but my dad used to sing it to me as well.

[@thebanj]

Very funny. I love the way people can give you comments that really make you laugh out loud. Thanks for that Andy I'll get out if I finish my algebra homework although I have been given four years hard sums to do before I can get out and wear long trousers. Tony

[@TheMakemFolksinger]

brillant just love it, cheers The Makem Folk Singer

[@nafen130]

Marvelous! 😍😍😍 I l-l-love it!

[@MikeLouth]

Nice guitar!

[@siqichen4315]

I liked so much

[@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

[@wildilwh09]

Great :-D

[@HaydenPK]

Good song :)

[@video-gabe]

Oh my god, I'm gonna do it . . . I'm gonna learn the song for my brother.

[@thebanj]

I'm not sure, but there was a sculpture of the story at the Garden Festival in Gateshead in the middle of the 80's and that was taken and put into another garden after the festival ended.

[@thebanj]

I have been called many things in my life but 'polished accent' that's nearly up there with a 'ye gods!' I received a few years ago. I take these 'comments' with a huge amount of sodium chloride. It's just a story, and you're not the critic from the Guardian. By the way if, by some chance you do just happen to be the critic from the Guardian...I've always loved your paper and I think that you give a truly representative feel for the nwes.

[@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]

You are so kind for commenting like this. Tony

[@RicardoGreen2008]

Be sure and let us know the results of your current 4-week tour visiting schools around the UK. The very best to you on the road also in Latin America. Richard

[@thebanj]

It's in G with the chords of G C Am D being used in a four-chord turn around.

[@thebanj]

It's really a straight G/C/D song and the verse is G for all of the first line C for "catched a fish" with a run down to D for the end of the line. (So it goes C then a C chord with a B base to A minor and then to D) This then repeated for the second two lines. CHORUS is really the same with the run being a little quicker and then just G C to D. The words are on many different sites on the Net. Hope that's some use Tony

[@thebanj]

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

[@e5149997]

I'm working on Lambton worm as a effects piece for my final year project. Just type Terry Marriott into youtube

[@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 ...

[@RayNichol]

Would love to get the chords and lyrics to this song, tried typing it out but feel it's important to get the proper spelling etc. Anybody have them? Please...

[@puzzledandconfused]

Would you give the chords? I can't find them on the web and me sis couldn t tell ...

[@thebanj]

You or me ? I try my best honest. Allabest Tony

[@bonoyster]

what key is he singing this in?

[@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,

[@theholybible8702]

It's not really a "dialect story" song if you don't sing it in dialect mate. Otherwise, great stuff.

[@michaelconnaughton7243]

Accent is far too polished!

[@thebanj]

It's really a straight G/C/D song and the verse is G for all of the first line C for "catched a fish" with a run down to D for the end of the line. (So it goes C then a C chord with a B base to A minor and then to D) This then repeated for the second two lines. CHORUS is really the same with the run being a little quicker and then just G C to D. The words are on many different sites on the Net. Hope that's some use Tony