"On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at" — Yorkshire’s Anthem
Yorkshire’s Unofficial Anthem
Even if you can’t sing, don’t worry — neither can half of us, and even though we will never get on Britains got a lack of talent, we still belt it out proudly.
Some places have national anthems. Yorkshire, being Yorkshire, decided we’d write our own… sort of.
“On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at” has been the county’s unofficial anthem for as long as anyone can remember. Most of us don’t recall learning it — we pretty much come out of the womb knowing it and then somewhere between learning to walk and learning to say “ey up”, we start singing it. Much to the shock of our parents but a proud moment anyway!
It’s a song wrapped in tradition, sprinkled with humour, dipped in history and served with a generous helping of Yorkshire common sense.
Before I get to t’words, it’s worth knowing where the thing actually came from.
A Bit of Background (or: Why We Shout About Hats and Always Having One!)
“On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at” translates to “On Ilkley Moor Without a Hat.”
Simple enough — but if you’ve ever stepped foot on Ilkley Moor, you’ll understand why this is basically a life-threatening scenario. The wind up there can whip your hair into next week, the moorland soil sandblasts your eyeballs, the ducks fly backwards and it’s the only place in Yorkshire that you can get frostbite in July and August!
Now here’s the bit that might upset a few proud Yorkshire folk and I hate to break this to you….
the tune isn’t originally from Yorkshire at all. I am sorry to be the bearer of such devastating news, but it is true.
(Brace yourself.)
It was written in 1805 by Thomas Clark — a cobbler from Canterbury. Yes, Canterbury! We don’t know where that is, but if its not in Yorkshire, it isn’t worth knowing about – is it?
Thomas had no known Yorkshire connections and sadly, there is no evidence that he ever donned his walking boots and strolled across our moors. Somehow though, one of his tunes wandered north of Ye Old Watford Gap and fell into the hands of us Yorkshire folk, who clearly had too much time — or too much mischief to commit — on their hands and decided to play around with it.
Legend has it a Wesleyan church choir from Halifax were out rambling one day and come lunch time, they sat in the warm heather with their snap, admiring t’pheasants, and decided this hymn tune needed a proper Yorkshire story. One of love, loss and not listening to good solid advice, a brisk walk turning fatal, worms, ducks and cannibalism via the food chain.
All your classic family-friendly subjects.
Over the years, the song became part of the county’s soul — sung in pubs, at rugby matches, weddings, funerals, christenings, barbecues, school assemblies, and any moment someone shouts, “Go on then, give us a tune.”
The Lyrics — in Proper Yorkshire (and English for t’Tourists)
“Wheear ’ast tha bin sin' ah saw thee, ah saw thee?
On Ilkla Moor baht ’at
(Repeat)
Tha’s been a coortin’ Mary Jane
On Ilkla Moor baht ’at
Tha’s baan t’ catch thy deeath o’ cowd
On Ilkla Moor baht ’at
Then us’ll ‘a’ t’ bury thee
On Ilkla Moor baht ’at
Then t’ worms’ll come an’ et thee oop
On Ilkla Moor baht ’at
Then t’ ducks’ll come an’ et up t’ worms
On Ilkla Moor baht ’at
Then us’ll come an’ et up t’ ducks
On Ilkla Moor baht ’at
Then us’ll all ‘a’ etten thee — that’s wheear we get us oahn back
On Ilkla Moor baht ’at”
You follow that or are you as confused as we are?
Lyrics Translated Into English (as politely as possible):
Where have you been since I last saw you?
On Ilkley Moor without a hat!
You’ve been courting Mary Jane
You’ll catch your death of cold
Then we’ll have to bury you
Then the worms will eat you
Then the ducks will eat the worms
Then we’ll eat the ducks
And so we’ll all have eaten you — poetic Yorkshire revenge.
What It’s Really Saying (With a Tip of the Flat Cap and a Wink)
If you boil the whole thing down, the message is: Wear a hat, or we’ll all end up eating you.
(that’s Yorkshire: practical, direct, never dull.)
Every verse basically scolds someone for being daft enough to wander onto the moor in bad weather just to flirt with Mary Jane. Honestly, if you’ve met some Mary Jane’s here in Yorkshire, you might understand why!
From “you’ll catch your death” to “we’ll bury you” to “ducks will eat the worms that ate you” — this is how Yorkshire folk say “I care about you but I’m going to express it through mild threats and wildlife.”
The final punchline — “that’s wheear we get us oahn back” — is pure Yorkshire gold.
Its our way of offering you a reminder that if you don’t listen to good advice, don’t expect sympathy. Expect ducks, worms and the consequences and possibly a Mary Jane or two, turning up weeping at your funeral and making a terrible fuss.
Thinking of Visiting Ilkley Moor?
Do! It’s stunning. Wild, rugged, peaceful and full of history.
But — and I cannot stress this enough – if you do not want to be part of the song — take a hat.
If you forget one, don’t panic. Ilkley has plenty of lovely shops that sell them. Always buy local, support local, stay away from anyone called Mary Jane and avoid becoming part of the food chain.
That way, it’ll be reeyt!