A really interesting conversation yesterday about the song ‘Home Newcastle’ by ‘Busker’ (aka Ronnie Lambert)

I probably should have mentioned for those uninitiated that this song is played before every NUFC home game, is regularly included in compilation albums of ‘Geordie songs’ (our spotify playlist included) and has become an adopted anthem of the football club, and the city more generally.

A couple of the points we raised about this hymn to Geordie identity:

the specificity of it — this being both a way to map the ‘everyday’, the small things. But also this specificity giving a kind of ‘insider knowledge’ to the audience (so if you know what ‘The Gallowgate End’ is, you are allowed to claim this Geordie identity too).

This led into a discussion of the ‘them and us’ theme in the lyrics — Newcastle versus ‘the big fat city’ of London, and the power inequality that many see between ‘the north’ and ‘the south’ (which I think we agreed were more than strictly geographical terms, but have a sense of economy, history, class etc attached to them).

Accent we talked about — which I think is an unavoidable, and centrally important, aspect of Geordie identity. And the idea that what was being said is only part of the identity, how it is being said adds an extra level of context and significance to the words (hence they appear always in their phonetic version, rather than in standard spelling). And this links back to the ‘in group/out group’ thing — a self-definition as ‘hard to understand’.

I think also how important landmarks are in mapping the identity is really important — look at the places Lambert lists here: St. James’ Park, the river Tyne (and bridge, and quayside — a very different place when Lambert wrote this song!), Fenwicks, and ‘the streets’. It’s worth pointing out that this excludes as much of Newcastle (and the North-East more generally) within the concept of Geordie identity — it is not just a geographical place. Notice Lambert doesn’t stroll through Jesmond Dene, or remember Gosforth High Street. So Geordie identity is attached to more than just place.

Home Newcastle — Busker

Ah had te come te London, Coz ah couldn’t find a job,
But ah don’t intend te stay long, If ah make a few quick bob
It’s cold up there it Summer, It’s like sitting inside a fridge,
But ah wish ah was on the Quayside, Looking at the owld Tyne Bridge

Ahm coming home Newcastle, Ah might as well a been in jail,
Ahd walk the streets al day al neet, For a bottle a ye own Brown Ale,
Ahm coming home Newcastle, If ye never win the Cup again,
Ahl brave the dark at St. James’s Park, At the Gallowgate End in the rain,
Ahm coming home…

And ahm proud te be ay Geordie, And te live in Geordie land,
Some people think wi bowdy, And wi hard te understand,
And they say it’s just self pity, And wi not so very tough,
Coz the people in the big fat City, Haven’t had it half as rough,

Ahm coming home Newcastle, Ye can keep ye London wine,
Ahd walk the streets al day al neet, For a bottle a the River Tyne,
Ahm coming home Newcastle, Ah wish ahd never been away,
Ahd kiss the ground for the welcome sound, Of me mother saying hinny howay,
Ahm coming home…

And ah miss the auld blind busker, Who stands at Fenwicks door,
He plays ay mean accordion, Ye’ve arl seen him there before
And ah love the Geordie heroes, There’s so many famous names,
Like Lindisfarne and Gazza, Brendan Foster and the Gateshead games