{"id":6943,"date":"2020-11-20T10:08:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T10:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=6943"},"modified":"2025-12-09T10:25:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T10:25:32","slug":"cooking-the-cock-of-the-north","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/cooking-the-cock-of-the-north\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooking the Cock of the North"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Cock of the North<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1911<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Harry Wincott \/ Harry Castling<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN3554<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Bedford<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source Singers<\/strong>
Elliot, Harry 1956-59 England Sussex<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From Feldman's Second Giant Budget of Songs:\n\nI went into into a raffle once\nAnd what do you think that I got?\nWell, a beautiful bird from off of McNat\nAnd the missus went clean off her dot\nWe screwed his neck in the ringing machine, \nBut the cock of the North wouldn't die;\nWe shoved him into the saucepan then, \nBut every minute he'd cry -\n\nCock a doodle, cock a doodle, \nThat's what he sang in the broth. \nWe scraped him, faked him, \nBoiled him and baked him, \nCooking the cock of the North..\n<\/em>\nWe took him out of the saucepan then, \nAnd covered him over with ice; \nWe stuck a pin in the Parson's nose, \nAnd stuffed him with treacle and rice. \nBut all of a sudden he gave a leap, \nAnd then flew under the bed; \nHe shoved his head in the washing basin, \nThen wiped his nose and said -\n\nWe stuffed his poverty corner up \nWith sage and potatoes as well, \nWe fired three shots at his Marble Arch, \nAnd three at his darby kell. \nWe shoved him into the oven, and then \nWe made up the fire nice and high, \nBut he kicked the door of the oven right off \nAnd then again started to cry \u2013\n\nThe lodgers came down and the neighbours \nThey all said its a pity to try \nTo cook such a bird as it wants to live \nWell don't let the poor devil die \nSo we tied him up to the bed post \nWith a rope and a table cloth \nAnd all he would sing was \"Let them all come,\nFor I'm the cock of the North!\"\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
A turn-of-the-century music hall song remembered by at least one traditional singer in the 1950s. Written by the prolific Harry Wincott.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This song was a hit for Harry Bedford <\/a>in the late 1890s, sheet music might have been published then, but the only surviving copy  seems to be a version published in 1911 <\/a>.  It was recorded in 1899 by professional recording artist Charles Foster, this was a a time when many recordings were made by professional recording singers rather than the stars themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
{I have added an extra verse after the sheet music became available 30\/1\/23}<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A recording or download of this song can be purchased from Windyridge CDs.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n