We took a trip to Blaydon
'twas on the ninth o' June
Twenty hundred and 12
It was a Sat'day afternoon
So many changes in the Toon
Too many for to list 'em
We couldn't gan alang Collingwood Street
Cos it's a one-way system
(Chorus)
Ah me lads, ye shud only seen us gannin',
We pass'd the folks upon the road
just as they wer stannin';
Thor wes lots o' lads an' lasses there,
all wi' smiling faces,
Gawn alang the Scotswood Road,
to see the Blaydon Races.
We passed the Central Station
With 24 on board
A roar came from St James' Park
We knew the lads had scored
It once was Alan Shearer
Who was the best by far
Now it's Papisse Cisse
...or it could be Demba Ba
(Chorus)
The Centre for Life was on the left
A building looming large
It used to be the infirmary
With Doctor Gibbs in charge
The medical research they do
Has been a revelation
And helped to give the Toon
An international reputation
(Chorus)
We started on to Scotswood Road
It's nearly off the map
Thank God for Jimmy Forsyth
Who took his canny snaps
Without his Brownie camera
The memories would be fadin'
Dealerships and business parks
Make up the road to Blaydon
(Chorus)
The landscape's lookin' different now
And Armstrong's factory
Is further on alang the road
Now known as BAE
A cycle path'll take you
Alang the Tyne and on
A road that's clean and greener
On to Blaydon and beyond
(Chorus)
We went further on the journey
But before the bridge was crossed
We tried to visit Paradise
But Paradise was lost
The pubs 'n' clubs the shops 'n' aal
The streets the bairns had played in
It's like the middle o' neewhere
When you're on the road to Blaydon
(Chorus)
We went across the Scotswood Bridge
The road gans roond and roond
We went on into Blaydon then
And this is what we foond
Some posters stuck up on the walls
And they were geet persuadin'
Wi to gan and see Graeme Danby's show
At the opera house at Blaydon
(Chorus)
Every year they run a race
The way the old bus went
To celebrate the races
It's a very fine event
A festival held every year
With every one paradin'
Be sure to go because I know
They'll show the best o' Blaydon
(Chorus)