Dialect Expressions
- Slavin on the cord: Working on either literally cord or corduroy working clothes.
- “Young un”: Here refers to apprentice
- Wrasslin: Cornish Wrestling
- Traapsin: To walk / gad about
- Soggin: Cold and Dreary
- Middlin: As in the expression “Fair to Middling
- Wisht: Sickly weak
- Thurl: Lean / thin
- Tiddly: Tiddlywink or Kiddlywink – Beer shop
- Whip The Cats Old term for travelling tailors
Bar lines and time signatures can sometimes be flexible in traditional ballads changing according to the style and expression chosen by singers. This song was part of Brenda Wootton’s repertoire of dialect songs and whilst she managed the timing for effect, she tended towards 4/4 time.[i] When played for Cornish Scoot (step) dances a stricter 4/4 time is used.[2]
In his collection “Cornish Dialect and Folk song”[3] Ralph Dunstan transcribes the song with a mixture of 6/8 and 9/8:
“Material for this most interesting and unique song was supplied by Mr. W. W. Piper, 9 Poltair Avenue, St. Austell. The only other song known with an integral whistling alternation is “The Farmer’s Old Wife,” a song formerly popular in Sussex—but this was not connected with any particular trade or profession. In the old days, it was the custom for tailors to visit the homes of farmers and others to “make up” their clothes for them. An out-working tailor was called a “Whip-the-Cat”-—- for some obscure reason. These “Whip-the-Cats” frequently travelled in company, generally on foot, and enlivened their often long journeys by singing and whistling. In the workroom, too, they were noted for their singing and whistling of songs and hymns. “To sing like a tailor” was a mark of vocal superiority. No doubt many tailors’ songs were the popular songs of the period; but “We Be” had the pride of place, being the traditional “standard song,” which, with improvised additions (every member of the “travelling company” making his couplet contribution) served more particularly as a “Marching Song,” and could be extended to any desired length. A certain tailor being asked: “How long do ‘ee reckon We Be be ?“ replied, “Why, bless ‘ee, We Be be so long as you mind fer ‘en to be. I’ve a known ‘en dree miles long, an’ wance a braa passel o’ vower.”Mr. Piper was fortunately able to supply the most usual traditional verses, indicating topical allusions, trade customs, fragments of superstition, fragrant memories, and pleasant anticipations.”
(Dunstan, Cornish Dialect and Folk Song )
As arranged by Richard Trethewey
We Be – Words trad Cornish (Collected in St. Austell -1920’s) Additional chorus words (chorus) by Richard Trethewey. Tune Richard Trethewey
I wrote a new melody to this traditional song which was originally collected in St Austell in the 1920s and contributed to Ralph Dunstan’s Cornish Dialect and Folk Songs book (1932) by Mr W. W. Piper of St Austell. It is a song that itinerant tailors would have sung as they travelled from farm to farm. The song had a very jovial tune and I wanted to give it something of the Scottish waulking work songs in Gaelic. I re-wrote the chorus and had it translated into Cornish by Matthew Clarke which I think helped bring to life the Celtic connection I was hoping to show.
Richard Trethewey
1.We Be working on the board all a-slaving on the chord
We Be pressing out a seem whilst the young’un sneaks the cream
We Be wrastlin’ in the yard while the farmers working hard
We Be Cornish Tailors
Chorus:
We Be here, we be there, we be working everywhere
We be working all the day and a-singing come what may
We Be here, we be there, we be working everywhere
We be Cornish Tailors
Phonetic:
Tomma nee, tenna nee, beary renn nee poob lay oll,
Beary renn nee drezz an jith gans can pih-nag-a-vo,
Tomma nee, tenna nee, beary renn nee poob lay oll,
thonn tre-horyon Kernow
- We be cackin’ with the Geese while the public we do fleece
We be singing with the silk like the milkmaids with the milk
We be covering up with feathers while we’m wearing out our leathers
We be Cornish Tailors.
Chorus:
3.We be traipsing on the roads while we’m wetter than any toads
We sogging ‘cross the downs while the gentry’s with the hounds
We be middling through the week but on Sundays musnt speak
We be Cornish Tailors
Chorus
- We be whisht and thurl for sure when the trade be getting poor
We be ready the boss to sack when the tiddly’s at our back
We be whistlin when tis light but we hums it when tis night
We be Cornish Tailors
Chorus
- We be walking arm in arm when the beer be like the barm
We be putting on the Piskies what we ought to on the Whisky
We be nearing Stickers Platt where we soon will whip the Cat.
We be Cornish Tailors
Chorus
We can see the place in sight so we’ll wish thee all goodnight.
We Be Cornish Tailors
TREGHORYON KERNOW
CORNISH SPELLING
‘tomma ni, tena ni, (o)beri wren ni pub le oll,
(o)beri wren ni dres an jydh gans kan pynag a vo
‘tomma ni, tena ni, (o)beri wren ni pub le oll,
‘Th’on treghoryon Kernow
UNABBREVIATED
Ottomma ni, ottena ni, oberi a wren ni pub le oll,
Oberi a wren ni dres an jydh gans kan pynag a vo,
Ottomma ni, ottena ni, oberi a wren ni pub le oll,
yth on treghoryon Kernow.
PRONUNCIATION
Tomma nee, tenna nee, beary renn nee poob lay oll,
Beary renn nee drezz an jith gans can pih-nag-a-vo,
Tomma nee, tenna nee, beary renn nee poob lay oll,
thonn tre-horyon Kernow
Extra Verse:
We be altering of our tune fore the sunny end of June
We be ever so good on Sundays but we’m never so good on Mondays
We be working night and day through the merry month of May
We warm as any blanket while we double thread and twank it
Notes
[i] Brenda Wootton, Children Singing, LP, Sentinel Records; SENS 1036; LP, 33rpm; 1976
[2] See Broom Stick Dance: Tan Ha Dowr Project 2000
[3] Ralph Dunstan Cornish Dialect and Folk Songs, (Truro, Jordan’s Bookshop, 1932), p26.
See also : Songs of the Clay Country