> Louis Killen > Songs > Keep Your Feet Still, Geordie Hinny

Keep Your Feet Still, Geordie Hinny

[ Roud 6862 ; Joe Wilson]

The Jeffersons sang Keep Your Feet Still, Geordie Hinny in 1958 on their Topic EP Round and Round With the Jeffersons.

Isla Cameron sang Keep Your Feet Still, Geordie Hinny in 1961 on her and Louis Killen’s Prestige International album The Waters of Tyne. The liner notes commented:

Joe Wilson (1841-1874), the author of this poular song, was a jobbing printer who, in 1864, abandoned his craft and became a stage comedian. As a song writer he ranks among the most successful of the Geordie bards. The melody has been used to carry a multitude of texts ranging from the early-Victorian ballad The Night She Left Her Footprints in the Snow to the American song The Little Old Sod Shanty on My Claim.

Louis Killen sang Keep Your Feet Still, Geordie Hinny in 1962 on his Topic EP of songs from the North-East and the border, Northumbrian Garland. This was also included in 1968 on the Topic LP (and in 1998 CD) of old and new Northumbrian songs, Along the Coaly Tyne, and in 1993 on the CD re-issue of the Topic anthology The Iron Muse. Louis Killen noted on the original album:

This song was written by Joe Wilson, one of Tyneside’s most famous music hall composers and artistes. With Ridley’s Blaydon Races and Cushie Butterfield, the song ranks as one of the most famous and world-widely known of Tyneside’s music hall-cum-folk pieces.

Bob Davenport sang Keep Your Feet Still, Geordie, Hinny in 1964 on his album with Isla Cameron, Jakc Armstrong and The Rakes, Northumbrian Minstrelsy, in 1971 on the BBC Folk on 2 album Northumbrian Folk, and in 1977 on his and the Rakes’ Topic album 1977.

The High Level Ranters sang Keep Your Feet Still in 1970 as the title track of their Trailer album of “the very best of Tyneside songs”, Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinnie.

Lyrics

Louis Killen sings Keep Your Feet Still, Geordie Hinny

Wor Geordie and Bob Johnson both lay in the same bed
In a little lodgin’ hoose that’s doon the shore;
But afore they’d been an hour asleep a kick from Geordie’s foot
Made Bob waken up to roar instead of snore.

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
Keep your feet still, Geordie hinny, let’s be happy for the neet,
’Cause aw may not be so happy through the day;
Oh, gi’s that bit o’ comfort—keep your feet still, Geordie lad,
And divvent drive me bonny dreams away.

Noo, aw dreamt there was a dancin’ held, and Mary Clark was there,
And aw thowt we tripped it leetly roond the floor,
As aw held her heavin’ breast t’ mine while walsin’ roond the room.
And that’s mair than aw dor ivver de afore.

Noo, ye knaa the lad she gans with, they caall him Jimmy Green,
And he thowt he’d try to spoil wor bit of fun,
But aw dreamt aw nailed him heavy, and aw blacked the big feuls eyes,
If aw’d slept, it’s hard to tell what aw wad deun.

Aw thowt aw set her hyem that neet; content we went alang,
And aw kissed hor lips a hundred times or mair,
And aw wished the road wad nivvor end, so happy like was aw,
Aw could of waaked a thoosand miles wi’ Mary then.

Aw dreamt Jim Green had left the toon and left his love to me,
And aw thowt the hoose was fornished with the best;
And aw dreamt that aw’d just left the church wi’ Mary by me side
When your clumsy feet completely spoilt the rest.