Lyke Wake Dirge

This is thought to be one of the oldest English Vernacular songs. It recounts the journey of the soul after death and the hazards it will encounter. Very appropriate for Halloween which, after all means "All Hallows' (or All Souls') Eve".

The song is in North Yorkshire dialect



This [Dm] ya neet, this ya [Am] neet,
Ivvery neet an' [Dm] all;
Fire an' fleet an' can'le [Am] leet,
An' [Dm] Christ tak [C] up thy [Dm] saul.

When [Dm] thoo frae hence away art [Am] passed
Ivvery neet an' [Dm] all;
To Whinny-moor thoo cooms at [Am] last,
An' [Dm] Christ tak [C] up thy [Dm] saul.

If ivver thoo gav owther hosen or shoon,
Clap thee doon an' put 'em on,

Bud if hosen or shoon thoo nivver gav nean,
T' whinnies 'll prick thee sair to t' bean,

Frae Whinny-moor when thoo mayst pass,
To t' Brig o' Dreead thoo'll coom at last,

If ivver thoo gav o' thy siller an' gowd,
At t' Brig o' Dreead thoo'll finnd foothod,

Bud if siller an' gowd thoo nivver gav nean,
Thoo'll doan, doon tum'le towards Hell fleames,

Frae t' Brig o' Dreead when thoo mayst pass,
To t' fleames o' Hell thoo'll coom at last,

If ivver thoo gav owther bite or sup,
T' fleames 'll nivver catch thee up,

Bud if bite or sup thoo nivver gav nean,
T' fleames 'll bon thee sair to t' bean,

This ya neet, this ya neet,
Ivvery neet an' all;
Fire an' fleet an' candle leet,
An' Christ tak up thy saul.

Really interesting song choice.....and nice job with the picking!

A hauntingly beautiful piece, Tootler. You play it well.

Wonderful performance Tootler, great stuff mate.

Very haunting.

v30 said:

Really interesting song choice.....and nice job with the picking!

Click to expand...

itsme said:

A hauntingly beautiful piece, Tootler. You play it well.

Click to expand...

Camsuke said:

Wonderful performance Tootler, great stuff mate.

Click to expand...

ukeofcarl said:

Very haunting.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your comments, all of you.

I usually sing this unaccompanied but I wanted to try a spare accompaniment. Picking is a bit ropey in places but overall it seemde to work out OK.

Very well done, Tootler.
I went and looked up the meaning and it is quite a message. Bleak indeed and haunting in a no-fun kind of way.
But moving and well delivered by you.

pootsie said:

Very well done, Tootler.
I went and looked up the meaning and it is quite a message. Bleak indeed and haunting in a no-fun kind of way.

Click to expand...

Yes. Behave yourself in this life or you'll pay in the next. The imagery is essentially Medieval Christianity but there are echoes of pre-Christian belief in it.

In times gone by, when someone died, the bodies often had to be carried many miles to a church and consecrated ground for burial. There were recognised paths across the moors known as "trods", more particularly "coffin trods". This song is one that would be sung as the bodies were carried for burial.

But moving and well delivered by you.

Click to expand...

Many thanks.

I learned to play this dirge on the tin whistle, thanx for putting up the chords Tootler I will learn it on the uke as well now

Thank you, Tootler. Beautiful and bone chilling.

kaizersoza said:

I learned to play this dirge on the tin whistle, thanx for putting up the chords Tootler I will learn it on the uke as well now

Click to expand...

Go for it. A little hint. I found an Am instead of a C worked just as well on the last line. For me it was a little easier as I was also having to concentrate on the picking as it was the first time I had just used picking as accompaniment for a song, so slightly easier chord change was welcome. not that Dm C Dm is exactly difficult.

gitarzan said:

Thank you, Tootler. Beautiful and bone chilling.

Click to expand...

Many thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.