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Mianus River Morris Song Page

This is a BIG page. You can get to the main parts here:
List of lyrics and those songs I've recorded at Ales.
Recordings of singing at various ales.
Recordings of 12th Night performances (with some singing):
    1983, 1986, 1987, 1988 (song samples from records only)

All of this is on one page. To get around just scroll up or
down or use your Back button.

***
Below are some songs we like and the words to some of the dances we do. Most of them came from Peter Hoover. Some of them I grabbed from the MDDL. Check there for additional info and e-mail addresses of providers. Beware, most of the e-mail addresses in these credits are old! Anything else without attribution is of unknown origin and thought to be public domain/traditional. Revisions or additions are encouraged! (Write me.)

Note: You need the RealPlayer to play the audio files. You can get a free one at Real.com. Look for the FREE version.

Here are the songs, or the names of some of the tunes we dance to, that I have lyrics for.  Songs recorded at ales are now included in this list.

(Oh My Darling) (10/19/85)
31st of April
5 Constipated Men of the Bible - all (excerpts only)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Another May Day Morning
A Bottle Of The Best - Aldoona? (1994 Ship Ale)
A Night in El Paso (Frank) (1986 Five Day Wonder)
All Because He Didn't Eat His Vegetables (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
All For Me Grog (1994 Ship Ale)
All God's Critters (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
All Of Life Is Like A ? (Rosin up your bow?) - Saralinda (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Alligator Named Albert - Marty & Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Are You Shingling The Rum Sellers Roof – female (1994 Ship Ale)
Arky's Toast
Aura Lee – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
background noise, ? – male (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Banks of the Dee
Beaux of London City
Because My Love Loves Me - Diana  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Bells Have Turned Green (10/19/85)
Berryman song, talk of, and Like a Dog's Hair in a Jellybean – Chris (10/19/85)
Betsy Go Home - (10/19/85)
Big Ship (Frank Plunkett) (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Black Joke(r)
Black Socks (round) – Marty (1986 Five Day Wonder) & (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Black Velvet Band - big guy and wife (1994 Ship Ale)
blessing – Jim (1989 NoWeare Ale)
Blue Bells of Scotland
Bold Nelson's Praise (Tune is Princess Royal)
Bonny Green Garters, Marty's version - w/ reptiles (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Boozing - Jim
Bored of the Dance - Christine Gaca (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Branch Of May - Dudley Laufman (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Brighton Camp
Calling On song (see also Pharmacy Calling On song)       
Candlemas Carol
Cape Cod Girls - Marty  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Captain Brown aka He Played His Ukelele As The Ship Went Down
Charlie Brown – male (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Charly Mox Beer (tune of Diana) – Aldoona (1994 Ship Ale)
chicken and book and frog joke - Dudley Laufman (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Chicken On A Raft - Bob DuPre (1994 Ship Ale)
Chickens In The Yard - Glenda? (1994 Ship Ale)
Christ You Know It Ain't Easy - Mary Fish (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Circle of the Sun - all  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Clementine – Aldoona (1994 Ship Ale)
Cob Coalin
Constant Billy
Country Gardens
Country Life w/ parody verses incomplete (10/19/85)
Cuckoo's Nest (see also the parody, The Instrument sung by Saralinda, 1986 Five Day Wonder)
Cutting More Wood - Aldoona? (1994 Ship Ale)
Daddy Take a Nap - (Frank)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Dance with Me - Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)  & Saralinda (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Days of the week song - Roger's English friend  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Dead Egyptian Blues – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
Diana - Aldoona and me (1994 Ship Ale)
Did You Ever See..., (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Diesel and Shale (10/19/85)
Diner song – male (1994 Ship Ale)
Dinosaur Song – Marnen (1994 Ship Ale)
ditty sample - Mary  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Dona - Diana  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Don't Have Any More Mrs Moore – male (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Down By The Green Woodside - Tom Gajowkski? (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Down On Old Bum Knee (10/19/85), Lindy (1986 Five Day Wonder), 2X (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Drinking Watneys
English condom joke - Dudley Laufman (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Every Propeller Is Turning/anti Soviet song – Roger (10/19/85)
Eynsham My Eye
Eynsham Poachers
F Word Song (Peter & Lou Berryman), talk of Berrymans (10/19/85)
Falling in Love Is Such A Pain - Connie? (1989 5 Day Wonder)
familiar tradtional -  female (The Blacksmith?) (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Fanny Frail
Father Come Home – Aldoona (1994 Ship Ale)
fiddle tune - Dudley Laufman (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Fields So Green
fireside (1989 NoWeare Ale)
Five Foot Flirt – female (1994 Ship Ale)
Flapjack in the Green
Garnett's Homemade Beer - all  (1986 Five Day Wonder) & (1994 Ship Ale)
George Washington Bridge (Man On The Flying Trapeze tune) (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Getting Upstairs
Glenda - ? (lots of background noise) (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Glorious Ale – female (1994 Ship Ale)  Jim (from the Clancy Brothers) (10/19/85)
Glorishears
Go Dig My Grave (Mary Fish)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Good Ale
Good Fellows Must Go Learn To Dance
Go To Sea Once More (Curtis on alternate harmony) (1994 Ship Ale)
Go Where I Send Thee – male (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Going Down on Old Bum Knee
Grenoside Longsword dance
Grizelda – male (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Hal and Tow
Hamlet - Aldoona? (1994 Ship Ale)
Happy Birthday
Hard Times (CP Line) – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
Harvest Home
Haste To The Maypole (w/ accordion!) - Christine/all (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Haste to the Wedding
Health Unto Her Majesty
Henry Of Richmond – Jeff (1994 Ship Ale)
Here's Health to the Morris
Highland Mary
Holy Modal Rounders song (spaghetti/dishes) Marty  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Hoodoo Ball - Jim Blake  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
How Do They Do It? – Jim (1994 Ship Ale)
Hunter's 12 Days of Christmas
I Can't Help It If My Heart Is Big Enough For Two – Saralinda (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
I Have My Price - ? (1986 Five Day Wonder)
I Know that Someday I'll Be Singing Above (Diana)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
I Love a Moose - Mary  (1986 Five Day Wonder) & Mary (complete) (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
I walk with the tape recorder towards and into the dining hall (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
I Want A Beer Just Like Dear Old Dad – Malcolm (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
I'd rather be a woman than a poor hard working man (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
If I Could Return – Aldoona (1994 Ship Ale)
I'm Saved – Jim (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Invitation To The Blues – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
Isle Au Haut (1994 Ship Ale)
Jabberwacky
Jack In The Green
Jockey To The Fair
John Barleycorn - Christine (Joan Sugerbeet version) (1989 5 Day Wonder) Non Barleycorn
Johnny Be Fair - Glenda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Joy Of My Heart (one verse) – Glenda (1989 NoWeare Ale)
Jumping and Dashing
Keep In Mind That I Love You – female (1994 Ship Ale)
Keep The Home Fires Burning - Aldoona? (1994 Ship Ale)
Ladies of Pleasure
Lads A Bunchum Lads a Bunchum  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Lancet Is The Beer For Me - female (sung to Yankee Doodle) (1994 Ship Ale)
Lass of Richmond Hill
Leather Wing Bat? (Burl Ives) (10/19/85)
Let Union Be - Robert Mills? (1989 Merrie Sex Ale) & (1994 Ship Ale)
Let Your  Back and Sides Go Bare – Saralinda (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Lilliburlero
'List for a Sailor
Lollipop Man
Lord of the Dance (parody), Lord of the Dance (end) (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Lumberjack Song - me and ... (1994 Ship Ale)
Lumps of Plum Pudding
Lydia The Tatooed Lady (10/19/85)
Maid of the Mill
Make Your Money When You're Young – male (1989 NoWeare Ale)
Mama's Little Baby Loves Shortnin Bread – Mary (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Martin Said To His Man/Who's the Fool Now - all  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Marty tells joke (1986 Five Day Wonder)
McTavish Is Dead (Ted Kennedy version) – male (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Me Charmin' Little Russky? - big guy (Russian) (1994 Ship Ale)
Mexican Hat Dance song (10/19/85)
Milder & Molder & Festle & Foe - ? (1989 5 Day Wonder)
The Morris Dance
Movin' Day (Jim Kweskin) - Jim Blake  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
My Bonnie Ewe Tree - Mary  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
My God How the Money Rolls in - Mary  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
My Grandfather's Cock (Saralinda)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
My Husband Has No Courage in Him - all  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
My Name is Captain Kidd/As I Sailed (Marty)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
My Wife and the Devil (Mary)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Never Wed an Old Man, - all  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
No Courage In Him – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
Non Barleycorn
Not For Joe
Now I'm A Fucking Hero - Jim Blake (1989 NoWeare Ale)
NoWeare Ale Song - Sara Jane? (1989 NoWeare Ale)
Nutting Girl (10/19/85), other lines  (1986 Five Day Wonder) & Jeff (1994 Ship Ale)
Odds of Going To Heaven - Jim Blake (1989 NoWeare Ale)
Off To The Rodeo - Mary  (1986 Five Day Wonder) & (1989 NoWeare Ale)
Oh The Hard Times of Old England – Aldoona (1994 Ship Ale)
Old Bones – Jim (1994 Ship Ale)
Old Dun Cow - Roger and all (1986 Five Day Wonder) & (1994 Ship Ale)
Old Molly Oxford (Stepback)
Old Mother Harvey
Old Rose and Crown
Old Time Religion- (10/19/85) & (1986 Five Day Wonder)

Old Woman Tossed Up
Old Woman From Wexford  and then parody Old Lady From Venice (10/19/85)
On A Monday Morning - Mary Fish (1986 Five Day Wonder) & Mary? (1989 5 Day Wonder)
On The Good Ship Venus - Kevin & Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
One Ton Of Mayo (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Oor Hamlet
Paddling Out To Rahway (1994 Ship Ale)
Padstow May Day Song – Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder) & short (1989 5 Day Wonder)
parody of little bird in modern times = ? (hard to hear.)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Postman's Knock
Princess Royal (See also Bold Nelson's Praise and Old Mother Harvey)
Phantom Flasher (parody of The Keeper) – Jim (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Pharmacy Calling On song
The Philosopher's Song – Roger (1986 Five Day Wonder), Roger and me (1994 Ship Ale)
Pleasant and Delightful (1986 Five Day Wonder), 2X (1994 Ship Ale)
Pleasure To Know You – all (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Plough Monday
Plowin on the Road - Frank  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Postman's Knock
Rabbits in Australia
Rag Morris - The Song (this is a link to their page)
Rigs o' Marlow
Reader's Digest Condensed version of Barrett's Privateers  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Respect for Paddy Murphy - Saralinda? (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Ring Your Bells Morris Men
Rise up, Jock
Roger's Rev Prynne monologue on Dancing (1994 Ship Ale) & at 1983 12th Night (seperate clip)
Roll Down (1994 Ship Ale)
Roll Down To Rio (1994 Ship Ale)
Roll The Old Chariots Along – male (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Roll Your Leg Over - Barbara Ruth (many verses) (1994 Ship Ale)
Roll Your Leg Over - Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Rolling Down to Old Maui - Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Rolling The Woodpile Down - male (Way Down in Florida) (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Rosie Get Out My Sunday Shoes - Aldoona? (1994 Ship Ale)
Rosin The Beau  - all, Diana (1989 Merrie Sex Ale) & Tom French (1989 5 Day Wonder)
Rosin Up Your Bow – female (1994 Ship Ale)
Rum By Gum – Jim (1989 Merrie Sex Ale) &  big guy (1994 Ship Ale)
Runnin' Down To Cuba - Aldoona? (1994 Ship Ale)
Safety Net – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
Save Your Money While You're Young
Shepherd's Hey
Sing... (?) – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
South Australia
spoken piece on country dancing - Dudley Laufman (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Sportsmen Arise/Innocent Hare (10/19/85)
Star Of The County Down - big guy and wife (1994 Ship Ale)
Stars And Stripe Forever – Jim (1994 Ship Ale)
Staines Morris
Step and Fetch Her
Stepback - see Old Molly Oxford
Steve Goodman's Vegematic song, excerpts of (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Streets of Laredo parody - Barbara Ruth (singing ON KEY!!) (1994 Ship Ale)
Strike The Bell - big guy (1994 Ship Ale)
Success To The Farmer - Bill Fisher? (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Sweet Jenny Jones
Take Her In Your Arms – Mary (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Take Me Out To The Ballpark – male (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
That's the Way for Me (Diana)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
The 20th Century Is Almost Over - Jim and all (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
The Barley Mow (1994 Ship Ale)
The Bonny Black Hair (pubic hair) Marty  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
The Child On Her Knee – female (1994 Ship Ale)
The Farmer's Toast
The Flowing Bowl (Come landlord fill the flowing bowl)
The Fox
The Great Storm Is Over - Aldoona (1994 Ship Ale)
The Grey Funnel Line - female (w/ Grey Flannel verse) (1994 Ship Ale)
The Instrument (parody of the Cuckoo's Nest) Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
The Keeper - Mary  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
The Lads and Lasses A Sheep Shearing Go – Diana (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
The Logger - Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
The Scotsman - Mary  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
The Seven Deadly Sins! - Christine Gaca (Nancy Winnig cough) (1989 5 Day Wonder)
The Tidswell Processional
The Times To Come (What Can You Do) – Marnen (1994 Ship Ale)
The Vicar and The Frog - big guy (1994 Ship Ale)
The Woman of Ipanema (parody of the Girl From Ipanema) (1989 5 Day Wonder)
There's No Way To ? Its Comin Every Day – Jim (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
They're Always in the Way- Mary  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Three Drunken Maidens - Saralinda  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Three Gypsys - ? (beautiful voice)  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Three Legged Man – Jim (1994 Ship Ale)
Titterstone Clee
Trunkles
Twelfth Night Song
unknown short song– male (1989 5 Day Wonder)
unknown song - Christine  w/ accordion (1989 5 Day Wonder)
unknown song - Curtis, Connie (1989 5 Day Wonder)
unknown song - Diana (1989 5 Day Wonder)
unknown song - Diana (1989 5 Day Wonder)
unknown song - Diana - pretty/quiet (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
unknown song – female (1994 Ship Ale)
unknown song – male (1994 Ship Ale)
unknown song (Shady Grove?) – Glenda (1989 NoWeare Ale)
unknown song ...for fish and things that swim in rivers... (10/19/85)
unknown song about women's lib! - ? (1994 Ship Ale)
unknown song excerpt – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
unknown song– female (1989 NoWeare Ale)
Waltzing with Bears - ? (1986 Five Day Wonder)
What Do Doggies Do When They Get Boogers – Christine (1989 5 Day Wonder)
When I Play The Fiddle - Dudley Laufman (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
When I was in My Prime/The Heart of Mine - Diana  (1986 Five Day Wonder)
When Jone's Ale Was New
When We Go Rolling Home (1994 Ship Ale)
Where I Have Been Many A Time - male (who is this?) (1989 NoWeare Ale)
White Collar Holler - Jim? (1994 Ship Ale)
Why Men Should Grow a Mustache - Jim Blake (1986 Five Day Wonder)
Why Paddy's Not At Work Today - Aldoona? (1994 Ship Ale)
Why Should We Forsake Good Liquor - (1986 Five Day Wonder) & (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Winster Processional
Woodchuck – Glenda (1994 Ship Ale)
World's Last Whale - Saralinda? (1989 Merrie Sex Ale)
Would You Like to Swing On A Star – all (1986 Five Day Wonder)
You're Drunk (snippet) – Mary (1986 Five Day Wonder)
You've Got To Make Hey When The Sunshines - (Sara Jane?) (1989 NoWeare Ale)

(back to top)

Some links for more songs:
Wally's Traditional Music page!
The Digital Tradition (at the Mudcat Cafe. Use the search)
NY Pinewoods Folk Music Club
Sea shantys


(return to main page)


Let the singing begin!

31st of April
(from May Day, 1985)
tune = blue eyed stranger  (Headington)
to be sung with the dance
(c) 1985 by Jim Blake. All rights reserved. From Jim: "Feel free to perform this,
but if you make a lot of money from it, I will want my cut." james.blake@ensco.com

Hear it sung by Jim himself. a RealAudio file ---> 31april.rm

chorus
Have you heard the music
Have you heard the bells
Have you seen the sticks they've cracked and broke
No one does the dances half so well as the highly celebrated Hearts of Oak

Late one night I was sitting in a chair
when I thought I heard a funny noise outside
up I rose and went out into the square
I beheld a site to make my eyes grow wide

Hankies in their hands, ribbons in their hair,
never had I seen such peculiar folk
Stamping on the ground and shouting to the air
come and dance the Morris with hearts of oak

chorus

On and on they continued through the night
'Till I felt for certain that their legs would drop
As I stood there arrested by the site I began to wonder would they ever stop

Pausing just a moment for half a case of beer, whiskey from the bottle and a smoke
forming up a side they called for me to hear, come and dance the morris with the hearts of oak

chorus

left right left and the hankies up and down
they explain each figure every step and turn
up and back and you circle all around while I listened closely and I tried to learn
But, stumbling on my feet 'till I could nearly scream
feeling like a fool or an awful joke
well looking at me now no one could ever dream I could dance the morris with the hearts of oak

chorus

so late one night if you're sitting in a chair and you're not quite certain that you hear a sound
rise on up and go out into the square when you see the dancing this is what you've found
hankies in our hands ribbons in our hair
no one but the finest dancing folk
stamping on the ground and shouting to the air
come and dance the morris with the hearts of oak

chorus

**********************************************************************
Another May Day Morning
(from May Day 1986)
(c) 1986 by Jim Blake. All rights reserved. From Jim: "Feel free to perform this, but if you make a lot of money from it, I will want my cut." james.blake@ensco.com

Hear it sung by Jim himself. a RealAudio file ---> anothermaydaymorning.rm

chorus
Another May Day morning
New life in the ground
Let's sing a song to greet the day
Let's fill our lungs with the air of May
Let's watch the winter float away
And pass the bottle round
Let's watch the winter float away
And pass the bottle round

Look at the sunrise on the river
One more year it's springtime again
April has promised, may delivers
One more may day morning

Winter at last has past behind us
Cold I was, how cold it has been,
Summer is creeping up to find us
One more may day morning

(chorus)

Such a brave crowd and such ambition
Traveling here at break of day
Carrying on the old tradition
One more May Day morning

Singing and standing here together
Magic runs within our ring
Bringing about a change in the weather
One more May Day morning

(chorus)

****************************************************************
Arky’s Toast
[from Kiyose Ryu]

We'll drink to the down fall of tyrants;
We'll drink to Christ the Lord,
We'll drink to the twelve Apostles,
Who preached his holy word.
We'll drink to the saints and martyrs,
In the dismal days of yore.
And whenever our glasses are empty,
We'll remember one saint more.
And whenever our glasses are empty,
We'll remember one saint more.

We'll drink to the king, me boys,
We'll drink a health to the queen,
And all the royal family,
Wherever they are seen.
We'll drink to the Dukes and Duchesses,
And all their loyal men.
And whenever our glasses are empty,
We will fill them up again.
And whenever our glasses are empty,
We will fill them up again.

We'll drink a heath to the ladies,
We'll drink to all their charms,
We'll drink to all the pleasures that we find,
When we are in their arms.
We'll hold them very tight, me boys,
But we'll make it clear.
It's good-by on the day that they say,
They will keep us from our beer.
It's good-by on the day that they say,
They will keep us from our beer.

We'll drink a health to the landlord,
Of this Harvest feast,
We'll raise our glasses high, me boys,
To the strength of malt and yeast.
We'll drink a health to the landlord,
With his ale strong and fine.
And we're hoping that he'll forget to shout,
When it comes to closing time.
And we're hoping that he'll forget to shout,
When it comes to closing time.

We'll drink to John O'Gaunt, me boys,
We'll drink to Jinkey Wells.
We'll drink to William Kimber,
Who was buried in his bells.
We'll drink to all the Morris folk,
Wherever they may be.
And we're hoping that they dance as well,
When they're half as drunk as we.
And we're hoping that they dance as well,
When they're half as drunk as we.

*******************************************

Banks of the Dee
[from Tony Saletan’s 1975 album, REVOLUTIONARY TEA: Ballads and
Broadsides of the American Revolution, via Lynn.E.Noel]

‘Twas summer, and softly the breezes were blowing,
And sweetly the nightingale sang from the tree
At the foot of a hill where the river was flowing
I sat myself down on the banks of the Dee.
Flow on, lovely Dee, flow on, thou sweet river
Thy banks, purest stream, shall be dear to me ever
For there I first gained the affection and favor
Of Jamie, the glory and pride of the Dee.

But now he’s gone from me, and left me thus mourning
To quell the proud rebels, for valiant is he
And ah, there’s no hope of his speedy returning
To wander again on the banks of the Dee.
He’s gone, hapless youth, o’er the rude roaring billows
The kindest, the sweetest of all his brave fellows
And left me to stray ‘mongst the once-loved willows
The loneliest lass on the banks of the Dee.

But times and my prayers shall perhaps yet restore him
Blest peace shall restore my true lover to me
And when he returns, with such care I’ll watch o’er him
He never shall leave the sweet banks of the Dee.
The Dee then will flow, all its beauty displaying
The lambs on its banks will again be seen playing
Whilst I with my Jamie am carelessly straying
And tasting again all the sweets of the Dee.

She also mentions a Yankee parody that begins:

‘Twas winter and blue Tory noses were freezing
As they marched o’er the land where they ought not to be.

Another Parody
[from Julie James]

"Nebuchadnezzar, he gave himself pleasure
Abusing himself by the banks of the Dee.
Dressed in black leather, a whip and a feather
A parrot, a ferret, a menage a three."

******************************************************

Beaux of London City

From Neil Jennings:
I have unearthed a broadsheet song which may be the origins of Beaux of London City. It is in the Bodleian Ballad collection, called 'The knowing maccaroni outwitted" and dates from sometime
between 1780 and 1812. The words seem to fit the Adderbury tune quite well... It looks like part of a longer song, but only these three verses are on the page.
 

The knowing maccaroni outwitted
[c. 1780-1812]
Tune: Beaux of London City (Adderbury version)

You beaux of London city, likewise St. Jame's park
Give ear unto my ditty, tis of a frolicksome spark
It is one of our dear brothers that lately was betrayed
It was by Mrs. Susan the lady's waiting maid.

His hair being oil'd and powder'd, hung dangling to his waist
No fop could be e'er go fine, his cloaths embroidered with lace
With snuff-box in his pocket as I [d]o you suppose
As large as any turnip, for to perfume his nose.

He stept to Mrs. Susan, to whom his fancy led
A guinea he would give to gain her maidenhead.
Get you to Covent Garden, to Fleet Street or the Strand,
And there for half the money you may have one at your command.

 
Beaux of London City (Adderbury)
[from Rich Holmes; words by Jack Caughey, formerly of the Bassett Street Hounds]

I'm Popeye's poopdeck pappy,
a seagoing son-of-a-gun
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly,
your first-aid kit in a jar
 

********************************************************************
Bells Have Turned Green
       (A Morris parody of Fiddler's Green)

(from Ishmael the Fiddler) This Morris-related song, to the tune of "Fiddlers Green", was sung by Curt Hayashi in the late 70s, when he traveled New England by motorcycle teaching Morris (Bledington, Fieldtown, Headington and other styles) to newly formed teams.


As I walked by the brewery one evening so rare, To view the still vats and to sniff the malt air, I heard an old Morris man singin' this song, Oh bury me here boys, my galleys have gone.

Chorus:
Dress me up in me bells and me baldric,
No more in the pubs I'll be seen,
Just tell me old sidemates, I'm takin' a ride, mates, And I'll see you someday when your bells have turned green.

Now `Bells Have Turned Green' is a pub I've heard tell, Where Morris men go when they don't go to hell, Where the beer is all pretty and the girls are all free, And they'll take you to heaven and won't charge a fee.

Where the sun always shines when you dance Shepherd's Hey, And you don't need a squire to show you the way. And the foreman is there, oh his smile is so sweet, Perfumes of Araby rise from his feet.

Where Esslinger beer is a beer that is banned, And the fool never buggers a dance that is planned. The bagman is there buying drinks by the score, And everyone says, `Good, let's have twenty more!'

Now, life has been good, boys. I've had a fair part, And from your kind comp'ny I'll happily depart. These words slowly dripped from his lips and his jaw, And he sank down content in the booze on the floor.

--To the tune of "Fiddler's Green", with apologies.
From Mary of Northampton Morris who heard it from Lou Killen, who collected it in England.

************************************************************************

Black Joke(r)
[from Geo Kloppel, West Danby, NY, with words added by Peter Hoover to make it scan better for Bledington]

There was an old woman who kill-ed a hog,
She made four puddings to poison the dogs,
They were black, white, yellow, and green.
T h e y   w e r e   black, white, yellow, and green,
Black, white, yellow, and green,
Two were quite fat and the others quite lean,
They were black, white, yellow, and green.

She put them onto the fire to cook.
They took the black joker all covered with soot
They were black, white, yellow, and green.
T h e y   w e r e   black, white, yellow, and green,
Black, white, yellow, and green,
Two were quite fat and the others quite lean,
They were black, white, yellow, and green.

She took them and put them right out on the floor,
They each in their turn ran straight out of the door,
They were black, white, yellow, and green.
T h e y   w e r e   black, white, yellow, and green,
Black, white, yellow, and green,
Two were quite fat and the others quite lean,
They were black, white, yellow, and green.

She took them and put them far up on the shelf,
If you want any more you can sing it yourself,
They were black, white, yellow, and green.
T h e y   w e r e   black, white, yellow, and green,
Black, white, yellow, and green,
Two were quite fat and the others quite lean,
They were black, white, yellow, and green.


Black, White, Yellow, and Green
[from gopher@gopher.uwp.edu]

There was an old woman, she kept fat hogs
She made plum puddings, they poisoned the dogs
They were black, white, yellow, and green.
Black, white, yellow, and green
The rarest plum puddings you ever have seen
They were black, white, yellow, and green

She took them and dropped them into the pot
She boiled them until they were blazing hot
They were black, white, yellow, and green
Black, white, yellow, and green
The rarest plum puddings you ever have seen
They were black, white, yellow, and green

She baked them until they were blazing red
One was like leather, the other like lead
They were black, white, yellow, and green
Black, white, yellow, and green
The rarest plum puddings you ever have seen
They were black, white, yellow, and green

She took up a pin and pricked the skin
The gravy ran out and the maggots ran in
They were black, white, yellow, and green
Black, white, yellow, and green
The rarest plum puddings you ever have seen
They were black, white, yellow, and green

She took them and put them down on the floor
They each in turn ran out of the door
They were black, white, yellow, and green
Black, white, yellow, and green
The rarest plum puddings you ever have seen
They were black, white, yellow, and green

She took them and put them up on the shelf
If you want any more, you can help yourself
They were black, white, yellow, and green
Black, white, yellow, and green
The rarest plum puddings you ever have seen
They were black, white, yellow, and green

The Black Joke (Ilmington)
[from Rich Holmes; from Sharp's Morris Book (vol. 1): Sharp gives some background on the history of the songs etc. which I won't transcribe here.]

There was an old woman as I have heard say,
She tickled everything that came in her way;
A, O, fiddle-de-dee.

She tickled the cows and she tickled the calf;
She tickled the pigs and she made them to laugh;
She tickled the cows and she tickled the calf;
She tickled the pigs and she made them to laugh;
A, O, fiddle-de-dee.


[The Original black Joke sent from Dublin, from Marshall Sheets at Harvard via Ishmael the Fiddler]

No mortal sure can blame the Man,
who prompted by Nature will act as he can
With a black joke & belly so white:
For he the Platonist must gain say,
that will not Human Nature obey,
in working a joke, as will lather like soap,
& ye hair of her joke will draw more than a rope,
with a black joke & belly so white.

The first that came in was an English boy
& then he began for to play and toy,
with her black Joke &c.
He was well vers'd in Venus's School,
Went on like a Lyon came off like a fool,
From her Coal black joke &c.

Then Shonup a Morgan from Holly head
Was stark staring mad for to go to bed,
To her black Joke &c.
His Cruper her Saddle did not fit,
So out of door She did him hit
With her Coal black &c.

Then hastily came in a Hilland Man
His Chanter & Pipe both in his hand
To her Black &c.
But his main spring it was not strong
For he could only flash in the pan
Of her Coal black &c.

A French Man oh then with ruffles & wig
With her he began for to dance a Jig
With her black &c.
& when he felt what was under her smock
Begar said Monsieur 'tis a fine Merimok
With a Coal black &c.

A rich Dutch Skipper from Amsterdam
He came with his gilt ready in his hand
To her black &c.
He fancy'd himself very fit for the game,
She sent him to Holland all in a flame,
By her Coal black &c.

The good Irish Man he could not forbear
But that he must have a very good share
Of her black &c.
Madam said he for money I have none
But I'll play a tune on the jigging bone
Of your Coal black &c.

The next came in a brave Granadeer
& calls in for plenty of Ale & Beer
For her black &c.
The cunning sly Jade show'd him a trick
& sent him away with fire in his stick
From her Coal black &c.

Traverse ye Globe & you'll find none,
Who is not addicted & very much prone
To a black &c.
The Prince, the Priest, the Peasant do love it
& all degrees of Mankind do covet
A Coal black &c.

The rigid recluse with his meager face
From fasting & prayer would quickly cease
For a black &c.
Let the Clergy cant & say what they will
They stop the mouth and tickle the Gill
of a Coal black &c.

The Bishop in his Pontifical Gown,
would tumble another Susanna down,
For her black &c.
The Lawyer his Client's cause would quit
To dip his Pen in the bottomless pit
Of a coal black &c.

[ Marshall sheets at Harvard ]

The Coal Black Joke
{from Folger M1497 C42 V3 Coll of 18C ballads via Ishmael the Fiddler]

There was a Lady came from France,
to learn an English Country Dance,
with her Black Joke & Belly so white:
She follow'd me from Lane to Lane,
& pick'd my Pockets quite & clean,
she follow'd me from Lane to Lane,
with her coal black Joke,
that will lather like soap,
& the hairs of her head will draw more than a Rope,
black Joke & Belly so white.

The Girls of the Town are such Ladies of pleasure,
They go to the Tavern & stitch at their leisure
With their black Jokes & Bellies so white:
Their Cullies they call'em my dear & my honey,
They let down their Britches & lug out their money,
They let &c.
For their coal black Jokes &c.

They ramble the Town to pick up a Spark,
Go to the Tavern, the Play-house or Park,
With their black Jokes & Bellies so white:
They have such a Way to draw Man in,
They rather chuse to stitch than Spin,
They have such a Way to draw Man in,
With their coal black Jokes &c.

Remember ye Sparks that follow the Game
That French Ladies first gave ye Sauce for the same,
With their &c.
& the Girls of our Nation who draw you in,
Will handsomly pepper you off to the skin,
They'll handsomly &c.
With their coal black Jokes &c.

Folger M1497 C42 V3 Coll of 18C ballads


Black Joke
[from the works of Robert Burns via Ishmael the Fiddler]

My girl she 's airy, she 's buxom and gay,
Her breath is as sweet as the blossoms in May;
A touch of her lips it ravishes quite.
She 's always good natur'd, good humor'd and free;
She dances, she glances, she smiles with a glee;
Her eyes are the lightenings of joy and delight:
Her slender neck, her handsome waist,
Her hair well buckl'd, her stays well lac'd,
Her taper white leg with an et and a, c,
For her a, b, e, d, and her c, u, n, t,
And Oh, for the joys of a long winter night!!!

************************************************************************
Blue Bells of Scotland (Adderbury)
[from Rich Holmes]
We sing

Oh where, and oh where,
has my Highland laddie gone?
Oh where, and oh where,
has my Highland laddie gone?
 

from Sandy Glover , St Albans Morris Men.

Oh where, and oh where, has my highland laddie gone?
He's gone to the wars (or hills), with his tartan Y-fronts on.

from "Jonno B"

Oh where, and oh where,
has my Highland laddie gone?
He's gone to the wars,
with his tartan jockstrap on.

***********************************************************************
Bold Nelson’s Praise
[From Peter Bearon]

I had always understood that the Princess Royal tune in Wood's Sea Song Fantasia was indeed The Arethusa. Words by Hoare and tune claimed to be by Shield. Sheffield University Morris Men in the 70's used to do a stick dance to a jig version of the Princess Royal tune and call it 'The Bald Arethusa', and this version of the tune still sometimes gets trotted out in music sessions. Do they still dance it? Does the team still exist?
    As to the song Bold Nelson's Praise sung to a version of the Princess Royal tune - I was given these words many year's ago by Haydn Thompson. The first verse appeared on a Dransfield's record if memory serves me correctly.

Bold Nelson's Praise I'm going to sing
Not forgetting our glorious King
He always did good tidings bring
For he was a bold commander
There was Sidney Smith and Duncan too
Lord Howe and all the glorious crew
They were the men that were true blue
Full of care, yet I swear
None with Nelson could compare
Not even Alexander

Bold Bonaparte he threatened war
A man who feared not wound nor scar
But still he lost at Trafalgar
Where Britain was victorious.
lord Nelson's actions made him quake
And all French powers he made to shake
He said his King he'd ne'er forsake
These last words, Thus he spake:
Stand true, my lads like hearts oak
And the battle shall be glorious

Lord Nelson bold, though threatened wide
And many a time he had been tried
He fought like a hero till he died
Amis the battle gory
But the day was won, their line was broke
While all around was lsot in smoke
And Nelson he got his death stroke
Thats the man, for old England
He faced his foe with sword in hand
And he lived and he died in his glory


************************************************************************
Bonny Green Garters
From Jim Blake (written by members of the Hearts of Oak [Dorothy Bukantz, et al.] circa 1982)

Here's to the Morris, we'll dance the dance well
And teach our sons and our daughters
Here's to our ribbons and here's to our bells
And here's to our bonny green garters
 

A more adult version, collected from England via the MDDL:

Here's to the lasses
We love them so well
Though some are regular tarters (sp?)
Off with their knickers
And off with their bras
And to hell with their bonny green garters
 

Peter Thomas of East Kent adds:
The spiel goes along the line of "composed by Henry VIII and he allowed any
lady wearing a green garter to join in the dance. We follow this tradition
and any lady wearing a green garter may join in. If she shows it to all the
men in the side first." We have not yet been taken up on it though several
have proved they are not!

Pete added 1/21/02
"The last comment is no longer true as at The Ship Inn at Sandgate on Boxing
Day a lady from the audience lifted her skirt and showed a Green Garter to
everyone including the audience and joined in the dance."
 

From Rich Holmes: The "traditional" words are something along the lines of

Here's to the ladies, we love them so well
Though some are regular tartars
Here's to their stockings and here's to their shoes
And here's to their bonny green garters
 

Some teams (mostly Morris Ring, I gather) sing the last two lines as

. . . Off with their knickers and off with their bras
And off with their bonny green garters
 

Thornden hasn't done BGG in a while, but I think they used to sing something like

Here's to our stockings and here's to our shoes
And here's to our bonnie green garters
A pair for me and a pair for you
And a pair for whoever comes after
 

The Hounds sing the following, written I believe by someone in the Midwest who is or was on the morris list (and subsequently folk-processed a little [the song, not the author]) John L remembers Marty Wagner, then from New Haven, singing it at a campfire somewhere (a 5 Day Wonder?). I think he wrote it or at least was the first I heard popularize it, oh, in the mid-1980's.)

Here's to the lizards, we love them so well
Though some are really iguaners
Here's to the snakes and the toads and the frogs
And here's to the bonny green garters
 

Abby Cameron, Squire, Rock Creek Morris Women, adds: Here's how we sing it in DC...

Here's to the Women that do the dance well
And pass it on to our daughters
Here's to our ribbons and here's to our bells
But chuck the bonny green garters
 

From the White Rats courtesy of Leigh Ann Hussey

Black Leather Garters

Here's to the Tops, we love them so well,
Though some are very slow starters.
Here's to their whips and here's to their belts,
And here's to their black leather garters.

Here's to the bottoms, we love them so well,
Though some are regular martyrs.
Here's to their screams and here's to their welts,
And here's to their black leather garters.
 

From Sarah Crofts: This is the song Dacre Morris sing for Bonny Green:
(obviously best sung when there are other, male morris teams around).

Here's to the fellers, they're ugly as hell,
It's hard to stifle our laughter,
They whisper sweet nothings and jingle our bells,
But we know bloody well what they're after!


Here’s to the Ladies ...
(From Alan Barber)

Here's to the maiden of barely sixteen
Here's to the unmarried mother
Here's to the maiden who looks so serene
But frequently sleeps with her bro-ther.

************************************************************************
Boozing

Now what are the joys of a single young man?
Why boozing, bloody well boozing
And what is he doing whenever he can?
Why boozing, bloody well boozing
You may think I'm wrong or you may think I'm right
I'm not going to argue, I know you can fight
But what do you think we are doing tonight?
Why boozing, bloody well boozing

Boozing, boozing just you and I
Boozing, boozing, when we are dry
Some do it openly, some on the sly
But we all are bloody well boozing

And what are the joys of a poor married man?
And what is he doing whenever he can?
He comes home at night and he gives his wife all
He goes out a shopping, makes many a  call
But what brings him home hanging on to the wall?

And what does the Salvation Army run down?
And what are they damning in every town?
They stand on street corners, they rant and they shout
They shout about things they know nothing about
But what are they doing when the lights are all out?

************************************************************************
Brighton Camp
[from pp. 708--711, The Ballad Literature and Popular Music of the Olden Time, by William Chappel, 1859 (reprinted 1965)]
“It appears ... that the song of ‘The girl I left behind me’ may be dated, with great probability, in 1758.”

I’m lonesome since I cross’d the hill,
And o’er the moor and valley,
Such heavy thoughts my heart do fill,
Since parting with my Sally.
I seek no more the fine or gay,
For each does but remind me,
How swift the hours did pass away,
With the girl I’ve left behind me.

Oh, ne’er shall I forget the night,
The stars were bright above me,
 And gently lent their silv’ry light,
When first she vow’d to love me.
But now I’m bound to Brighton camp,
Kind Heaven, then pray guide me,
And send me safely back again
To the girl I’ve left behind me.

Had I the art to sing her praise
With all the skill of Homer,
One only theme should fill my lays--
The charms of my true lover.
So, let the night be e’er so dark,
Or e’er so wet and windy,
Kind Heaven send me back again
To the girl I’ve left behind me.

Her golden hair, in ringlets fair,
Her eyes like diamonds shining,
Her slender waist, with carriage chaste,
May leave the swan repining
Ye gods above! oh, hear my prayer,
To my beauteous fair to bind me,
And send me safely back again
To the girl I’ve left behind me.

The bee shall honey taste no more,
The dove become a ranger,
The falling waves shall cease to roar,
Ere I shall seek to change her.
The vows we register’d above
Shall ever cheer and bind me,
In constancy to her I love,--
The girl I’ve left behind me.

My mind her form shall still retain,
In sleeping or in waking,
Until I see my love again,
For whom my heart is breaking.
If ever I return that way,
And she should not decline me,
I evermore will live and stay
With the girl I’ve left behind me.

[from P. Woods]

Oh, the black cat piddled in the white cat’s eye,
And the white cat said, “Gor Blimey!”
The black cat said “It serves you right,
You shouldn’t have stood behind me.”

Oh, the Captain swore his bollocks were sore,
And the crew all said “Gor Blimey!”
The man at the wheel must have had a good feel,
Of the girl I left behind me.


[from Rich Holmes]

O let the night be ever so dark
O let it be wet and windy
I must return to the Brighton Camp
And the girl I left behind me

[From Martyn Read]
]The Evesham Stick" which is danced to "Brighton Camp - The Girl I Left Behind Me".
Evesham Stick starts

There ain't no hairs on our cat's tail,
There ain't no hairs on tiny.
But I know where there's lots of hair,
On the girl I left behind me.

[From Graham Baldwin]
Another verse we have been known to sing is:

The black cat stood on the white cats tail
The white cat said "cor Blimey!"
The black cat said,"I'm sorry sire,
I didn't know you were behind me"

From Lee Thompson-Herbert

Oh that girl, that pretty girl
That girl I left behind me
The more I drink, the less I think
About the girl I left behind me.



************************************************************************

Calling On Song

[ from Ashley Hutchings?;  Earsdon Sword Dance Calling On; Recorded by Steeleye Span on Hark! The Village Wait]

Good people pray heed a petition
Your attention we beg and crave
And if you are inclined for to listen
An abundance of pastime we'll have

We have come to relate many stories
Concerning our forefathers time
And we trust they will drive out your worries
Of this we are all in one mind

Many tales of the poor and the gentry
Of labor and love will arise
There are no finer songs in this country
In Scotland or Ireland likewise

There's one thing more need be mentioned
The dances are danced all in fun
So now you've heard our intention
We'll play on to the beat of the drum


************************************************************************

Candlemas Carol
[From Norman Stanfield]

"Then youthful box which now hath grace your houses to renew,
Grown old, surrender must his place, unto the crispest yew,
When yew is out, then birch comes in, with many flowers besides,
Both of a fresh and fragrant kind, to honour Whitsuntide.

***********************************************************************
Captain Brown aka He Played His Ukulele as the Ship Went Down
(From  John Price, Transcribed from Eclipse JW 563/4. Sung by Leslie Sarony.)


(Yo ho, me lads, yo ho!)?

Yo ho, me lads, yo ho!
I’ll tell you the tale of a sailor
Who sailed the Bay of Biscay-o
As the captain of a whaler.
Of his gallant deed you all should know.
Yo ho, me lads, yo ho!

I‘ll tell the tale of the Nancy Lee
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea
The bravest man was Captain Brown
For he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

All the crew were in despair
Some rushed here and the others rushed there
But the Captain sat in the captain’s chair
And he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

The pets on board were all scared stiff
The cat miaowed and the monkey sniffed
The old green parrot hung upside down
Saying “[Pity?] pretty Polly” as the ship went down.

The crow’s nest fell and it killed the crow
The starboard watch was two hours slow
But the Captain sung “Oh yo dee oh doh”
And he played his ukulele as the ship went down.
---
Yo ho, me lads, yo ho!
---
The skipper shouted “Fore and aft!
I’ll have no slackers aboard this craft.
So understand” said Captain Brown
“I want everybody present  as the ship goes down.”

“The cook‘s gone mad and the bosun’s lame
The rudder has gone and the deck’s aflame
My g string’s flat, but all the same
I shall play my ukulele as the ship goes down.”

They struggled on against the storm
The [port hole?] wind was far from warm
So all the crew and Captain Brown
Played ring-a-ring-a-roses as the ship went down.

They shouted “Women and children first!”
The engineer came up and cursed
When all of a sudden his boiler burst
So he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

He shouted “Man the rafts!
With chains and a rope you’ll find them.”
The bosun searched both fore and aft
But dashed if he could find ’em.
At the mercy of that raging sea
Was the good ship Nancy Lee.

“Have faith in me” the Captain cried
To this remark the crew replied
“You can trust us, Captain Brown
To finish up the rum before the ship goes down.”

The skipper shouted back “No chat!
I’ll do my best; and after that
D’you mind if I pass round the hat
As I play my ukulele as the ship goes down?”
---
Yo ho, me lads, yo ho!
---
The mate said “It’s okay with me
The shipwreck suits me to a tee
I owe ten bob to Captain Brown
And I’ll never have to pay him if the ship goes down.

The pessimistic cook said he
Was sure the crew very soon would be
Playing a harp. Said Brown “Not me!
I shall play my ukulele as the ship goes down."
---
Yo ho, me lads, yo ho!
---
When they reached the lifeboat how they cursed!
The second mate had got there first
The cook said “I’ll be last to drown
’Cos I’m climbing up the rigging as the ship goes down.”

Soon it was a total wreck
The Captain stood on the burning deck
The flames leapt up all around his neck
And burned his ukulele as the ship went down.

The captain’s wife was on the ship
And he was glad she’d made the trip
As she could swim she might not drown
So he tied her to the anchor as the ship went down.

They struck a leak just after dark
And through the hole came a hungry shark
It bit the skipper near the water mark
And he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

----
The mate had a saxophone  (...music...)
The cook had a trombone  (...music...)
The [drummer?] had an old tin  (...music...)
And another had a violin  (...music...)
The bosun had a banjo  (...music...)
The stoker had a piccolo  (...music...)
“You can play what you like” said Captain Brown
“I shall play my ukulele as the ship goes down.”

And that is the tale of the Nancy Lee
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea
And Captain Brown who was in command
Now plays his ukulele in a mermaid band.

************************************************************************

Cob Coalin------------------------------
[from Dave Wynn]

Chorus:-
We come a-cob coalin , cob coalin , cob coalin
we come a-cob coalin for bonfire night.

The first that comes in is a collier you see
With pick and a shovel already to dig
First he does pick it and then it does fall
And that is the way that we gather cob coal

Chorus:-

The next that comes in is a sailor you see
With a bunch of blue ribbons tied under his knee
He's travelled through England through France and through Spain
And all his delight is old England again

Chorus:-

The last that comes in is a miser you see
He's bent in the back and he's blind in one eye (ee')
He's a weary old feller and he wears a pigtail
and all his delight is in drinking old ale

Chorus:-

Down in our cellar there's an old umbrella (pron Umberella)
there nowt in yon corner but an old pepper pot
Pepper pot pepper pot mornin till night
If you give us nowt we'll take nowt farewell and goodnight

Chorus:-

Down in our cellar there's plenty 'o' bugs
They've eaten my stockings and part of my clogs
We'll get a sharp knife and we'll cut their yeds off
And we'll all have a supper of bugs yeds and broth

Chorus and finish with
(spoken)
Up a ladder and down a wall , twopence or threpence will please us all

************************************************************************

Constant Billy
[from Don Ulin]

Oh, my Billy, my constant Billy,
When shall I see my Billy again?
When the fishes fly over the ocean,
Then shall you see your Billy again.
 

[from Rich Holmes]
I believe Adderbury sings something like:

Oh, my Billy, my constant Billy,
When will I see my Billy again?
When the fishes fly over the mountains,
That's when I'll see my Billy again.

before the dance, and:

Billy again, Billy again,
Billy again, Billy again,
Oh, my Billy, my constant Billy,
When will I see my Billy again?

in the last chorus.

Constant Billy (Headington)
[from Rich Holmes; from Sharp's Morris Book (vol. 1): Sharp gives some background on the history of the songs etc. which I won't transcribe here]

O Constant Billy
Shall I go with 'ee?
O when shall I see
My Billy again?
 

(Bampton)

O my Billy, my constant Billy,
When shall I see my Billy again?
When the fishes fly over the mountains,
Then you will see your Billy again.

************************************************************************

Country Gardens

Country Gardens (Headington)
[from Rich Holmes; from Sharp's Morris Book (vol. 1): Sharp gives some background on the history of the songs etc. which I won't transcribe here]

Old woman, if you please,
Will you come along with me
Into my fine country gardens?

************************************************************************
COUNTRY LIFE

chorus:
I like to rise when the sun she rises,
early in the morning
And I like to hear them small birds singing,
Merrily upon their layland
And hurrah for the life of a country boy,
And to ramble in the new mown hay.

1. In summer when the summer is hot
   We sing, and we dance, and we drink a lot
   We spend all night in sport and play
   And go rambling in the new mown hay

2 In autumn when the oak trees turn
   We gather all the wood that's fit to burn
   We cut and stash and stow away
   And go rambling in the new mown hay

3. In winter when the sky's gray
   we hedge and ditch our times away,
   but in summer when the sun shines gay,
   We go ramblin' through the new mowed hay.

4. In spring we sow at the harvest mow
   And that is how the seasons round they go
   but of all the times choose I may
   I'd be rambling through the new mowed hay

5. Oh Nancy is my darling gay
   And she blooms like the flowers every day
   But I love her best in the month of May
   When we're rambling through the new mown hay

NYC verse
    I like to rise when the sun she rises
    Early in the morning
    I like to hear those cockroaches munching
    merrily on those breadcrumbs
    Hurrah for the life of a city boy
   When we rumble down East Broadway

Morris verse
   I like to hear the Morris dancers
   Clash their sticks and drink fine ale
   I like to hear those bells a-ringing
   As we ramble in the new mown hay

   In the winter time, when the world is quiet
   We'll go into the woods AND WE'LL START A RIOT!
   We'll catch those birdies where they lay
   And we'll roast 'em in the new mown hay

    For, I hates to rise when the sun she rises
    Early on the morning
    I hates to hear those small birds singing, dirty little bastards
    A pox on the life of a country boy
    I'm allergic to the new mown hay (Achoo)

 (Original lyrics Recorded by Watersons - For Pence and Spicy Ale, revisions edited by John Lippincott, last two verses from Jim Van Fleet)

************************************************************************
Cuckoo's Nest
[from "Morris On", John Kirkpatrick et al.,
via Art Kaufmann]

As I was a walkin' one morning in May
I met a pretty fair maid and unto her did say,
For love I'm inclined
And I'll tell you me mind
That me inclination lies in your cuckoo's nest

Me darlin, says she, I am innocent and young,
And I scarcely can believe your false deluding tongue,
Yet I see it in your eyes,
And it fills me with surprise
That your inclination lies in me cuckoo's nest.

 Some like a girl who is pretty in the face,
 And some like a girl who is slender in the waist,
 Buit I like a girl
 Who will wriggle and will twist
 At the bottom of the belly lies the cuckoo's nest.

Then me darlin', says he, If you see it in me eyes,
Then think of it as fondness and do not be surprised,
For I love you me dear,
And I'll marry you, I swear,
If you'll let me clap my hand upon your cuckoo's nest.

Me darlin, says she, I can do no such thing,
For me mother often told me it was committing sin,
Me maidenhead to lose,
And me sex to be abused,
So have no more to do with me cuckoo's nest.

 Some like a girl who is pretty in the face,
 And some like a girl who is slender in the waist,
 But I like a girl
 Who will wriggle and will twist
 At the bottom of the belly lies the cuckoo's nest.

Me darlin', says he, it is not committing sin,
But common sense should tell you it is a pleasing thing,
You were brought into this world,
To increase and do your best,
And to help a man to heaven in your cuckoo's nest.

Then me darlin, says she, I cannot you deny,
For you've surely won my heart by the rovin' of your eye,
Yet I see it in your eyes,
That your courage is surprise,
So gently lift your hand in me cuckoo's nest.

 Some like a girl who is pretty in the face,
 And some like a girl who is slender in the waist,
 But I like a girl
 Who will wriggle and will twist
 At the bottom of the belly lies the cuckoo's nest.

So this couple they got married and soon they went to bed,
And now this pretty fair maid has lost her maidenhead,
In a small country cottage,
They increase and do their best,
And he often claps his hand on her cuckoo's nest.

 Some like a girl who is pretty in the face,
 And some like a girl who is slender in the waist,
 But I like a girl
 Who will wriggle and will twist
 At the bottom of the belly lies the cuckoo's nest.

 

[from the singing of Jean Redpath via Ishmael the Fiddler]  (1st version of 1st verse courtesy of Leigh Ann Hussey

The Cuckoo's Nest

There is a thorny bush in our kale yard,
There is a thorny bush in our kale yard,
At the back o'th' thorny bush, there is a lad and lass,
And they're busy busy havin' at the cuckoo's nest.

There is a thorn bush, in our _____
There is a thorn bush, in our _____
At the back of there'n bush there is a leaden glass,
And they're busy busy having at the cuckoo's nest.

Chorus:
It's hey the cuck and ho the cuck and hie the cuckoo's nest,
It's hey the cuck and ho the cuck and hie the cuckoo's nest,
I'll gie anybody a shilling and a bottle of the best,
If they'll rumple up the feathers in the cuckoo's nest.

It is thorned, it is coppiced, it is prickled all around,
It is thorned, it is compassed and it isn't easy found,
She said young man you're plundering, I said it is nae true,
But I left her with the makings of a young cuckoo.

Chorus

Some like a lassie who is gaily dressed,
And some like a lassie who is tight about the waist,
But it's in amongst the blankets that I like the best,
For to get a jolly rattle at the cuckoo's nest.

Chorus
 

and from Sandy Glover, St Albans Morris Men.

The Jean Redpath "Cuckoo's Nest".   In my youth in Scotland, I learned the
first lines from several 'traditional' singers as   "There is a bonnie briar
bush in our kail yard" (kail yard=vegetable garden).

************************************************************************
Drinking Watneys
to the tune of "Captain Kidd";
from Bob Berrier

Drinking Watney's leads to tears
I shall teach, I shall teach
Drinking Watney's leads to tears, I shall teach,
Drinking Watney's leads to tears
And the falling off of ears
And the parts that other beers cannot reach, cannot reach.

(Watney's had a slogan about reaching the parts that other beers cannot reach. I think the tune is Admiral Benbow. Another song I wish I'd written).

*************************************************************************
Eynsham My Eye
From Mike Crist

My foreman talkin' to me tryin' to tell me how to dance,
But the only thing I listen to is hiding in my pants.
My squire she disown me cause I wear the Betty's clothes,
She caught me in the bathroom in a really nasty pose.
But I don't really care if people think I caper funny,
I got a work-SHOP tour, and I'm makin' lots of money!

*************************************************************************
Eynsham Poachers
[from Paul Woods]

Three Eynsham lads went out one day,
To Lord Abingdon's Manor they made their way,
They took their dogs to get some game,
And soon to Whitham Woods they came.

Chorus:
Laddie-i-o, Laddie-i-o,
Three jolly young fellows as ever did go.
Three jolly young fellows as ever did go.

We had not long been shooting there,
Before our spaniel set up a hare,
Up she gets and away she ran,
At the very same time a pheasant sprang

[Chorus]

We had not shot the woods all through,
'fore Barratt the keeper came into view,
When we saw that old bugger look
We made our way to Cassington Brook.

[Chorus]

When we got there 'twas full to the brim,
How you'd have laughed to see us swim!
Ten foot of water, if not more,
When we climbed out, our dogs they swam o'er.

[Chorus]

O'ver hedges, ditches, gates and rails,
Our dogs followed on, hard at our heels,
But if he'd have caught us, say what you will,
He'd have lodged us all in Abingdon Jail.

[Chorus]

-Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 09:14:23 +0000
From: MIKE HEANEY
Subject: (Clear throat) "The Eynsham Poachers"

(Pitch it in D?)

Three Eynsham laddies went out one day
To Lord Abingdon's manor they made their way, They took their dogs to seek some game
And soon to Wytham Woods they came;

Laddie-i-o, laddie-i-o, fol-de-rol-rol-rol, laddie-i-o (x2)

They had not long been beating there
Before a spaniel she put up a hare;
Up she jumped and away she ran,
At the very same moment a pheasant sprang;

Laddie-i-o ...

They had not beat the woods all through, When Barrett the keeper he came into view; When they saw the old bugger look,
They made their way to Cassington Brook;

Laddie-i-o ...

When they gets there she's full to the brim, Oh, you'd have laughed to see them swim; Ten feet of water if not more,
When they gets out their dogs comes o'er;

Laddie-i-o ...

Over hedges and ditches and gates and rails, Their dogs followed after at their heels, You may now say what you will,
But they have their hares and their pheasants still;

Laddie-i-o ...

(Rumour has it that a further verse has them in jail, but we don't sing that one in Eynsham! And Cassington Brook is more than full to the brim this morning after weeks of rain...)

Mike Heaney
Eynsham Morris

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 10:34:00 +0000
From: "Dr G.C. Saunders" Subject: Eynsham

Dear All,
Happy New Year.

The Eynsham Poaching Song/Eynsham Poacher. I know of two records containing this song:
The Bonny Bunch of Roses by Fairport Convention, which is notable for Simon Nicol's wrong pronunciation of "Wytham"! - considering they lived in Cropredy at the time this is unforgiveable!
An Oxford Ramble by Magpie Lane - a newish cd by local Oxford musicians, available presumably only in the Oxford area. This contains tunes played by Chris Leslie - yes THE Chris Leslie! (An undanceably slow version of "Constant Billy", "Stoughton Wake" with echoes, and a new tune to a dance that the redoubtable Mr Leslie invented for the Adderbury Morris Men!) It's generally a good cd with good songs, including the Eynsham Poaching Song!

Three Eynsham Lads came out one day
To Lord Abingdon's Manor they made their way They took some dogs to catch some game
And soon to Wytham wood(s) they came

[Wytham is pronounced "White-ham" not "Wit-ham" a la Nicol!]

CHORUS: Laddee - i -o, laddee - i - o
FC: Three jolly young fellows that ever did go ML: Ladde - i, laddee - i, ladde - i - o
X2

I can't remember the next verse (someone help me out please)

We had not beaten the woods all through
When Baddock (?) the keeper came into view When we saw the old bugger look
We made our way to Cassington brook
[That's a stream near Wytham woods, not to be confused with Seacourt stream and the Isis which also run by Wytham woods!]

It's gone!
I do know it ends with

You can say just what you will
But we'll have our hare and pheasant still

-multitudes of choruses

For a bit of background information:
Wytham is a small hamlet near Oxford, on the other side of the Thames to Port Meadow. Wytham woods was an extensive piece of woodland near Wytham, but in Berkshire, which is now far less extensive, owned by the University, and contains non-indigenous conifers etc, which are being removed. It is the study area for the University zoologists, ornithologists and botanists etc. And as such one requires a permit to walk there. It's now more restricted than 5 years ago when one could stay there all night. The permits are obtainable from Oxford University Chest, situated in Little Clarendon Street (sorry the Estates Office), but probably aren't available to non-University members. They are however fairly easy to forge - so I'm led to believe. (Mine is kosha! and I've never forged one!)
Wytham contains many mammals, but is crap for birds. The deer are culled regularly: Fallow that is! Muntjac also abound there. Tree pipits, Redstarts, Nightingales, Herons etc used to nest there, but don't now! It's a bit screwed up - mainly by the forestry work that's been done there and the conifers that have been planted, but the University are doing something to sort that out!
The address for application for a permit is:
University Chest Estates Office,
Dartington House,
Little Clarendon Street,
Oxford,
OX1 2HS
Fax: 0865 270708
Tel: 0865 270400

Happy poaching!

*************************************************************************

Fanny Frail
[From John Burke]

“Fanny Frale is fair and handsome
 Fanny Frale is fair and free
 Fanny's alright on a Saturday night
 But Sally is the one for me !”

The words were apparently collected with the Evesham stick dance (aka Fanny Frale). The dance ends with a change of tune and more words for the dance round and off:

“Farewell, farewell, farewell my Fanny Frale,
 I saw her sister Sally at the corner of the alley,
 Singing polly wolly doodle all the day”

[From Peter ffoulkes]
The example of this that relates to Fanny Frail is one I first heard at Lytham Rose Day (Lytham ST. Annes, Lancashire) in 1980, being danced by a border side based in Doncaster, S. Yorkshire (obviously a "revival" side), whose name I have forgotten.]

Bugger Off!, Bugger Off!, Bugger Off! my Fanny Frail,
When I saw her sister Sally she was pissing in the alley,
Singing polly wolly doodle all the day.

[From Glenda Newell-Blake]
There is an American folk variant of Fanny Frail that I learned as a child (perhaps a more scholarly type can fill in details of history, but I learned it in the folk process--)]

Well, I went down South for to see my gal
singing polly-wolly-doodle all the day
My gal Sal is a good old pal
singing polly-wolly-doodle all the day

Chorus:

Fare thee well, fare thee well,
fare thee well my Fairy Fay,
For I'm going to Loosiana for to see my Susianna
Singing polly-wolly-doodle all the day

[From Graham Baldwin]
For example, there are words to the dance from Dilwyn:

There was a little nigger and he grew no bigger
So they put him in the wild west show
He tumbled through the window and he broke his little finger
And he couldn't play the old banjo

Too ra loo, etc. etc.

I believe the above words (which may, by some, be considered racist by todays standards) date from the early part of the century and are not actually from Dilwyn but somewhere else. (I have the full reference somewhere.) There is a second verse, considered (by me) to be much more recent:

My uncle Billie has a 10 foot willie
And he showed it to the girl next door
She hit it with a rake 'cause she thought it was a snake
And now it's only five foot four

There's also the following words which I have heard for the tune "Kaffozalum", which we have adopted and use for the Pershore Handkerchief Dance:

Old Mrs Huddledee
Came to bed to cuddle me
Threw her right leg over me
To keep her belly warm, Oh

*************************************************************************
Fields So Green
[from Jeff Bigler] for music, see "authoritative version"
 

   1. At sunrise on Beltane the pagans all come
       To the banks of the river where the dancing is done.
       And they smile and nod wisely for they understand
       That the dancing is done for the land.

       For they've read all about it in magical texts,
       Of fertility rites danced in six person sets.
       And they say they're sincere but there's hardly a chance
       That they'll get up and join in the dance.

       Chorus:
       But I dance for the fields, I dance for the land,
       With my bells and my ribbons and my hankies in hand.
       Each time that I caper, the higher I leap,
       That much more grow the barley and wheat,
       From the magic I dance with my feet.

    2. The dancers today are not of the same stock
       And the crops and the fields have long been forgot;
       For the magic is far less important today
       Than which way to go in a hey.

       At the ales where they gather the dancers do roam
       Through parking lots, malls and retirement homes;
       And the one thing that's foremost in all of their minds
       Is the contra dance later that night.

    3. The crops of today are all grown by machines,
       And there's no place for magic in today's planting schemes.
       More important is yield per acre of land,
       And their parents and children be damned.

       And they've all got their bottles that they highly rate
       Of fertility magic trichlorosulfate.
       Yet all of their chemistry still can't explain
       Why the fields where we dance are so green.

    4. Now I live in a city and I dance in the streets
       Where there's no growing thing within five hundred feet.
       And the crowd asks us ``Hey, what are you s'posed to be?''
       Or they shout things I will not repeat.

       And we write city hall for permission to dance,
       And we drive ninety minutes for a half-hour stand.
       But the magic begins when we form up the set,
       And it still works despite the cement.

       Alternate chorus, sung after the last verse:
       For I think of the fields, I think of the land
       Each time I wear bells and take hankies in hand.
       And I know when I caper, the higher I leap,
       Somewhere tall grow the barley and wheat,
       For the magic still works from the streets.

       After alternate chorus, end with normal chorus.

Copyright © 1992, 1994 by Jeff Bigler. Permission is hereby granted to copy and/or distribute this music or lyrics by
any means for any non-commercial purpose, provided that this copyright notice is included. Permission is also granted
to perform this piece before an audience of five hundred (500) or fewer people. Any other use, including but not limited
to publication for profit, performance before an audience of more than five hundred (500) people, or recording, requires
the author's expressed consent.

If you want a hardcopy, I recommend downloading the Postscript version (generated by MusicTeX).

1996/12/26 12:34:50 version, grabbed 6/12/98

************************************************************************

Flapjack in the Green
[from Lynn Noel & Cynthia Cress, Oak Apple Morris, 1987]

Now dancing is over, I'm happy to say
And we're all met again over breakfast so gay
And we're all met again on the first day of spring
To pour maple syrup on Flapjack in the Green.
Flapjack in the Green, Flapjack in the Green
To pour maple syrup on Flapjack in the Green.

Flapjack in the Green is a very strange man
Though he dies in the batter, he's born in the pan
And each year on his birthday we will dance in the hall
Of the restaurant foolish to welcome us all.
Flapjack in the Green, Flapjack in the Green
We'll pour maple syrup on Flapjack in the Green.

With his stacks he will cover the plate that is bare
Our stomachs he'll fill with fresh butter so fair
And on top we'll plop lingon-, straw-, rasp- or blue-berry
And the sour cream fresh from the Wisconsin dairy.
Flapjack in the Green, Flapjack in the Green
We'll pour maple syrup on Flapjack in the Green.

Now the sun is well up and betokens the time
Where the waitress arrives with the last bottom line
So now let the coffee and the tipping begin
For we'll all munch each Mayday on Flapjack in the Green.
Flapjack in the Green, Flapjack in the Green
We'll all munch each Mayday on Flapjack in the Green.

************************************************************************
Getting Upstairs
[Headington version; from John Walker]

Some like coffee, some like tea,
Some like a pretty girl just like me(she).

From Neil Jennings
(Dubai Sharjah Morris, 1978-1982)

Some like coffee, some like tea
Some like a pretty girl just like me
Such a getting upstairs and playing on the fiddle
Such a getting upstairs I never did see

************************************************************************
Glorious Ale
[From Nick Robertshaw of Foggy Bottom Morris.]

When I was a young man my father did say
The Summer is comin' 'tis time to make hay
And when hay's been carted don't you ever fail
to drink gaffer's health in a pint of good ale

CHORUS:
Ale, Ale, Glorious Ale
Served up in pewter, it tells its own tale
Some folks like radishes, some cur-lie kale
But give I boiled parsnips and a gert dish of taters
and a lump of fatty bacon, and a pint of good ale

Our MP's in parliament our faith for to keep
And I hope now we've put 'im there he won't sit and sleep
He'll always get my vote if he doesn't fail
To bring down the price of our good english ale

CHORUS

Some folks is teetotallers, they drink water neat
It must rot their gutses and give 'em damp feet
But as for my part I know I'll not fail
On boiled beef and bacon and Good English Ale

CHORUS
************************************************************************
Glorishears
From Mike Heaney

7/11/99
The notation I made up on the spot to convey the tune. Would be better in ABC if I knew it!

PS I did publish the tune in The Morris Dancer Vol 1 no.8 (1980) 12-14. The tune is also given in C. Simpson's The British Broadside Ballad and its Music (1966) p.522.

[Key of C, 4/4 time, 1=whole note/semibreve, 2=halfnote/minim &c, *=dotted,|= bar line, scale CDEFGABcdefga, low-high]

Use a nonproportional font and it'll match up
 

ccccC | EGG | ccBAGF | EFGG |
48844 | 442 | 488488 | 8842 |

cccc*e | dcded*e | fedcggf | ec ||
4884*8 | 88884*8 | 8888488 | 22 ||

ffffag | fedcd*d | cccced | cBAGGAB |
488488 | 88884*8 | 488488 | 8888488 |

cBAGFE | F*GA*A | GgcEF | GC ||
488488 | 4*84*8 | 44488 | 22 ||

Source for words:

The modern prophets: or, New wit for a husband. A comedy, as it is acted at the Theatre Royal in Drury-Lane, by Her Majesty's Servants. Writen by Mr. Tho. D'Urfey. London: Printed for Bernard Lintott ..., [1709]

[The text refers to events of 1706 and 1707]

p.45
Now, now comes on the glorious year,
Britain has hopes and France has fear,
Lewis, the war has cost so dear,
He slily peace does tender;
But our two Hero's so well know
The breach of his word some years ago,
They resolve they will give him the other blow,
Unless he Spain surrender.

Health to the Queen then straight begin,
To Marlborough the Great and to brave Eugene;
With them let valiant Webb to come in,
Who late perform'd a wonder:
Then to the ocean an offering make
And boldly carouse to brave Sir John Leak,
Who with mortar and cannon Mahone did take,
And made the Pope knock under.

Beat up the drum a new alarm,
The foe is cold and we are warm,
The Monsieur's troops can do no harm,
Though they abound in numbers;
Push them once more and the war is done,
Old men and boys will surely run;
And we know we can beat them if four to one,
Which he too well remembers.

There were also parodies of this, but I suspect the tune was used just as a tune by fiddlers, and not for its lyrics.
 

<>************************************************************************
Going Down on Old Bum Knee
(Hear this sung at the 5 Day Wonder, 1986.   Click on the RealAudio file "30.rm".)
or at the 1986 Merrie Sex Middle Mac Ale.

Chorus
Going down on old bum knee again, me boys
Going down on old bum knee
We're homeward bound, ace bandage bound
Going down on old bum knee

It's a damn hard life, full of toil and strife
we Morris men undergo
We don't give a damn when the ale is done, how hard the ground below
for we're homeward bound to the piper's sound, and a caper taught for three
And we don't give a damn when we drink our ale
Going down on old bum knee

Once more we're found sitting on the ground with ice upon the sprain
Our mainspring sprung, our flailing done, we soon will feel the pain
Even now the big black welts rise up where our kneecaps used to be
If I ever get cured, I'll praise the Lord, going do