The Cockfight

Come, all ye colliers far and near
I'll tell of a cock-fight, when and where
Out on the moors I heard them say
Between a black and the bonny grey

It's into the pub to take a sup
The cock-fight it was soon made up:
For twenty pound these cocks will play
The charcoal-black and the bonny grey

The first come in was the Oldham lads;
And they come with all the money they had;
The reason why, they all of them did say
“The black's too big for the bonny grey.”

The Oldham lads stood shouting round:
“I'll lay you a quid to half a crown
If our black cock he gets fair play
He'll make mincemeat of the bonny grey!”

So the cocks they at it, and the grey was tossed
And the Oldham lads said, “Bah, you've lost!”
Us collier lads we went right pale
And wished we'd fought for a barrel of ale

And the cocks they at it, one, two, three
And the charcoal-black got struck in the eye
And they picked him up, but the devil wouldn't play
And the cock-fight went to our bonny grey

With the silver breast and the silver wing
He's fit to fight in front of the king
So hip hooray, hooray, hooray!
Away we carried our bonny grey