On a Friday it fell in the month of April
O'er the hill came the sun with a blithe sunny smile
And the folks were a thronging the roads everywhere
Making haste to be in at Copshawholme Fair
I've seen them coming in over mountain and glen
Both rosy faced la**es and strapping young men
With a joy in their hearts and unburdened of care
They'll be meeting old friends at Copshawholme Fair
There's lads for the la**es, there's toys for the bairns
There are fiddlers and tumblers and folks with no arms
There's a balancer here and a fiddler there
And a nut man and spice man at Copshawhome Fair
Oh but now about the hiring if you want to hear tell
You should ken it as far as I've seen it myself
What wages they addle it's ill to declare
The muckle they vary at Copshawholme Fair
Justielle I have seen, she's a strapping young queen
And he asked what her age was and where she had been
What work she'd been doing - how long she'd been there
What wages she wanted at Copshawholme Fair
Just then the big la** stood a wee while in gloom
Then she turned and she scraped with her feet on the ground
Then she plucked up her heart and did stoutly declare
"I'll have five pound and ten at Copshawholme Fair"
He says, "But my la** that's a very big wage"
Then he turned him about like he'd been in a rage
Said "I'll give you five pound but I'll give you nae mair
But I think you will take it at Copshawholme Fair"
He put his hand in his pocket, took a hold of bit wench
In case it should enter her hand for to flinch
But she grabbed at it muttering, "I should have had mair
But I think I wll take it at Copshawholme Fair"
Now the hiring is over and off they all gang
Into the ballroom for to join in the thrang
And I never shall lie with my mammy nae mair
For the fiddlers play briskly at Copshawholme Fair