ONE MORE FOR THE TOAD

It's quarter to three,
There's no one in the place except you and me
There’s no one about,
They left when I took my amphibian out.
They can’t take the shock, Joe old cock;
He’s in fly-catching mode;
Make it one for my baby and one more for the toad.

Hey Joe, he says Hi,
You know, I don’t care if he’s warty and dry.
Hey Joe; ain’t he cute?
Folk say he’s small but he isn’t my newt.
One more drink and we’ll fly, he and I
To our lonesome abode;
Make it one for my baby and one more for the toad.

We’ve been rehearsin’;
Jeremiah was a person,
Had some mighty fine wine, so they say;
Some toads like Shiraz
This toad down here has
Time for Cabernet.

Well Joe, it’s so long;
I don’t mean goodbye; I’m describing his tongue;
Hey Joe, it’s late;
So sorry about the mass exodus, mate.
Joe, I just kissed a prince
And he’s been here since;
Guess we’d best hit the road;
Make it one for my baby and one more for the toad

Published in 'The Collar Purple'

And now one of Mr Barker's serious ones:

ANGELS OF THE NORTH

They say there’s an angel beside the A1
Stood high on a hilltop when Durham’s near done;
If you’re looking for angels, you’ll find precious few,
But come up to Walker; there’s angels here too.

We met long ago in a pub by the quay
And I’m thankful that he took a liking to me;
We've lived down in Walker for nigh fifty year;
He worked at the shipbuilding while it lived here.

The cranes are no more now; the cranes have moved on
They’ve gone to build tankers a mile or so long;
They’ve flapped their great wings and they’ve flown to Japan
And they’ve left nothing here for a shipbuilding man.

For a time, life was hard but you live how you can
And I worked at the check out and he drove a van;
We’ve raised two good sons and they’re both doing fine
Though they’ll never build ships, no, nor go down a mine.

We’ve lived and we’ve loved all these years, man and wife,
Right from Milburn to Shearer, and that’s a good life;
We met long ago in a pub by the Tyne
And he says I’m his angel; I know he is mine.

Recorded by Jackie Oates and Phil Beer on 'Twilight of the Dogs'
(Mrs Ackroyd Records DOG 019)

Published in 'Vincent Van Dogh'

a cherdd Cymraeg.....

Nid wy’n gofyn bywyd moethus
Aur y byd na’i berlau mân;
' Mhroblem ydy, yn anffodus,
Os dw i'n onest, calon wan.

Calon wan; dw i'n llawn tabledi
Aspirin am byth, di-os;
Mwy ohonyn medrech gredu
Gyda'r dydd a gyda'r nos.

Ni ddymunwn olud bydol,
Caniateir dewis y bydd
Ramipril a Bisoprodol,
Cymerir bythol bob dydd.

Calon wan; dw i'n llawn tabledi
Aspirin am byth, di-os;
Mwy ohonyn medrech gredu
Gyda'r dydd a gyda'r nos.

Glas y bore fel aderyn
Esgyn poen ar draws y wawr;
Pam rhoir imi warfarin,
Peth sy'n lladd y llygod mawr?.

Calon wan; dw i'n llawn tabledi
Aspirin am byth, di-os;
Mwy ohonyn medrech gredu
Gyda'r dydd a gyda'r nos.

Last updated: Chwefror 18, 2010