The Best English Singalong Folksongs VOLUME 1 Contents of Book and CDs The Best CD1 CD2 EENNGGLLIISSHH 1. A-Beggin’ I Will Go 1. The Knocker Upper Man 2. The Ballad of Seth Davy 2. The Lancashire Lads 3. Bedlam Boys 3. The Leaving of Liverpool SSIINNGGAALLOONNGG 4. The Bolinder Boatman 4. A Miner’s Life 5. Byker Hill 5. New York Girls 6. The Calico Printer’s Clerk 6. The Prickly Bush FFOOLLKKSSOONNGGSS 7. Cholera Camp 7. The Red Barn 8. Cold & Haily Night 8. Rose of Allendale VOLUME 1 9. Flash Companie 9. Way Down To Lamorna 10. Green To Grey 10. The Whitby Maid 11. High Germany 11. Yarmouth Town Publisher: PhilDrane Music PO Box 20275, Glen Eden, Auckland 0641, New Zealand www.phildrane.com Content: Phil Drane Traditional and Contemporary Contact: [email protected] Folksongs of England includes lyrics, song bios, musical notation & 2 CDs Page 48 Foreword Yarmouth Town 1. In Yarmouth Town there lived a man This is the first in what I hope will be a series of books and CDs featuring He had a tavern all by the strand The landlord he had a daughter fair English traditional and contemporary folksongs – songs composed by A plump little thing with golden hair ordinary English people about ordinary English people, past and present. Chorus: Oh, won't you come down, Won't you come down, A nation’s folk-heritage or folk-culture is worthless if the people to Won't you come down To Yarmouth town. Oh, won't you come down, Won't you come down, whom it belongs are not able to celebrate it freely. It is not just for the Won't you come down To Yarmouth town. enjoyment of the privileged few, or to be analysed and studied ad 2. Now to this tavern came a sailor man nauseam; rather it is to be celebrated as often as possible, so as to keep He asked the daughter for her hand. "Why should I marry you, kind sir she said, one’s unique folk-culture and ethnic identity alive and well. I get all I want without being wed. It should be played, sung and danced from childhood – in music classes, 3. "But if you seek to gain my bed, in the home, in day-schools, and at social and community gatherings. Around this finger I’ll tie a thread As you pass by, just pull on the string This is the norm in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, but not in England, And I'll come down and I'll let you in." where, sadly, British politics has ensured that English people, 4. Now the very same night in Yarmouth town, (particularly urban English people) have been substantially detached from He goes to the tavern all by the strand Goes round the back and he pulls on the string, their folk-heritage and their unified English identity. And she come down, and she let Jack in. 5. Now Jack had never seen such a sight before, Whoever you are, and for whatever reason you bought this compilation, The string on her finger was all she wore. I hope you enjoy it simply for what it is - an album of superb, grass- And when he went and he pulled that string She come down and she let Jack in. roots English singalong folksongs. 6. The sailor stayed the whole night through And early in the morning went back to his crew, For the majority of ordinary English people, who are non-folkies, I hope He told them all about the maiden fair, The pretty little thing with the golden hair. this album demonstrates that not only is English folk music every bit as entertaining as, for example, Celtic music, but continually celebrating our 7. Well, the news it soon got all around And the very next night in Yarmouth Town English roots and folk-culture is vital to retaining our own distinct there was sixteen sailors pulling on the string cultural identity. And she's come down and she's let them all in. 8. So all young sailors that to Yarmouth go If you see a pretty girl with her hair hanging low, Sincere thanks for helping to keep our English folk-culture alive. Well, all you've got to do is pull on the string, Phil Drane And she'll come down and she'll let you in. Page 2 Page 47 INDEX Pages A-Beggin I Will Go 4,5 The Ballad of Seth Davy 6,7 Bedlam Boys 8,9 The Bolinder Boatman 10,11 Byker Hill 12,13 The Calico Printer’s Clerk 14,15 Cholera Camp 16,17 Cold & Haily Night 18,19 Flash Companie 20,21 Green To Grey 22,23 High Germany 24,25 The Knocker Upper Man 26,27 The Lancashire Lads 28,29 The Leaving of Liverpool 30,31 A bawdy English heritage folksong typical of the 1800s Victorian era, this has been localised to Yarmouth. There are alternate localised versions such A Miner’s Life 32,33 as Oxford Town and Oxford Street. This was brought to attention again by New York Girls 34,35 Nic Jones and other folk students whose dedication to research and piecing The Prickly Bush 36,37 together lost ‘gems’ of the English and British Folk traditions is not yet fully appreciated. The Red Barn 38,39 This was perhaps written by a sailor since it contains typically nautical Rose of Allendale 40,41 fantasy and bawdiness, and though it was written two centuries ago it is certainly a brilliant English folksong that everyone sings along to. Way Down To Lamorna 42,43 The Whitby Maid 44,45 Yarmouth Town 46,47 Page 46 Page 3 The Whitby Maid 1. It’s of a maid from Whitby Town, she was both fair and clever She used-to-sit by her father’s door no matter what the weather A sailor coming home from sea, pockets overflowing Saw the maiden sitting there, quietly with her sewing “Won’t you come along with me, my bonny oh my honey We’ll go down to Whitby Town and spend a little money” “My father he would not agree, would be against his wishing” And with a twinkle in her eye she said “But he’s gone fishing”. Chorus: Blow away you Northern winds, blow away so cruelly Not so cruel as a pretty maid, for they’ll deceive you surely. 2. This couple’s gone to Whitby Town, soon they’re making merry And at the tavern in the town, they spent a little money Night came down the stars came out, the lady says “Me sailor, Won’t you come back home with me, I feel I must repay you”. 3. They went home and went upstairs, they turned down the covers “Come to bed my sailor boy, let’s you and I be lovers”. The sailor jumped out of his clothes, quicker than he oughter, The door fell down and a man walks in saying “Who’s that with me daughter”? This Lancashire version of a song known throughout England and Scotland was collected from an old weaver called Becket Whitehead who worked as a felter in Delph village. He was also a well-known broadsheet singer and local historian. Mentioned in the song are the villages of Dunkinfield (betwixt 4. The sailor thru the window’s leapt Ashton and Hyde) and Shaw (north of Oldham, a few miles west of Delph). and to his ship’s gone running Begging was commonplace in England from about 1650 onwards and initially He’s left behind his clothes, his watch, the beggars were English soldiers who returned from the European Wars and the best part of his money mentally and physically disabled. They were treated in hospitals and lunatic Now father with the daughter’s gone asylums such as Bethlehem Hospital in London (commonly known as ‘Bedlam’) down to the kitchen table and when they were released, (whether cured or not we don’t know), they To share the sailor’s money out were at least given official licences to beg. Eventually begging became more as quick as they were able. widespread as less savoury characters discovered it was an easy way to ‘make a few bob’. Conmen, liars, and thieves took to begging and it eventually And father’s gone to buy new boots became so aggressive that it was outlawed. In Lancashire dialect Halt means and a new suit from the tailor’s ‘to hop’; Nobbut means ‘nothing but’; Deef means ‘deaf’; Blint means ‘blind’. The daughter to the door has gone to watch and wait for sailors! Page 4 Page 45 A-Beggin’ I Will Go 1. Of all the trades in England, The beggin' is the best For when a beggar's tired, He can set him down to rest Chorus: And a-beggin' I will go, a-beggin' I will go A-beggin' I will go, yes a-beggin' I will go 2. I've a pocket for me oatmeal, And another for me salt A little pair of crutches, Tha should see how I can halt 3. Me britches they are nobbut holes, But me heart is free of care As long as I've a belly full, Me backside can go bare 4. There's a bed for me where e'er I lie, And I don't pay no rent I've got no noisy looms to mind, And I am reet content 5. I rest when I am tired, I heed no master's bell A man would be daft to be a king, when us beggars live so well 6.