Jon attributes Anne Briggs as his source for this with the observation, “One of the nice things with the oral tradition is the way stories get whittled down to their simplest forms. This is a small but perfectly formed saucy, little ballad.” This link also mentions a version recorded in 1966 by A.L. Lloyd, the same year that Briggs released it on the LP Bird In The Bush (a collection of traditional erotic songs.) You’ll find her version on Anne Briggs A Collection and the sleeve notes on that push the point that although “Cecil Sharp noted a version but never printed it; perhaps because to polite people of his day, the idea of girls actually enjoying sexual intercourse was offensive. Too good for the working classes?” I can’t even give you a Mudcat link here as the only ones I can turn up are a debate about whether folk music is sexy and one about Next Market Day, an entirely different song that makes a more codified reference to the same kind of liaison (well, that’s how I read it). If anyone can add anything, therefore, I’d be grateful. There may be lyrical or title variants that have slipped me by.
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The buy links should now work properly. We had some problems with a duplicate track and everything needed to be updated, but I’ve just tested them and they are now OK!
You can buy the digital album now from the following stores:
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CuckoosNest Antiques, Jon Boden. Jon Boden said: Latest Post: The Stonecutter Boy http://www.afolksongaday.com/2010/07/21/the-stonecutter-boy/ [...]
Two corrections, if I may: Anne with an ‘e’. And “The Bird in the Bush” is not solely a Briggs album, but features songs sung by A. L. Lloyd (as well as Frankie Armstrong) as well.
The Bricklayer’s Dream appears in Marrowbones, collected from Daniel Wigg in Hampshire and seems to be basically the same song, different trade and tune.
Bert Lloyd in Folk Song in England also refers to ‘…lighter brisker pieces of the kind of “The stone-cutter (bricklayer) boy” …’
Adam, thanks Anne corrected (hasty fingers)… As for Bird in the Bush, (another typo corrected) Norman Kennedy is name checked on the CD but not the original LP, which credits Alf Edwards concertina and Dave Swarbrick on fiddle. The CD isn’t available at the moment, so I’m not able to check it further
One of my all time favourites, I sing it when having sing around with Loose Women Morris Dancers. Thankyou Jon, really enjoying this project, keep ‘em coming.
Stonecutter’s version of ‘come up and see my etchings’ – hahahaha! Adds a whole new meaning to the expression ‘dreamboat’. You won’t find better innuendo and suggestiveness than in some traditional songs. Very enjoyable!
Merry screaming!…young ladies enjoying rumpy pumpy!……I learn something from AFSAD every day!…
@ Jane…Innuendo…isn’t that an Italian suppository?
@ Muzza: Not in my end it isn’t! Posh suggestiveness to you! I have just watched your ‘Come Write Me Down’ video (is that your shower curtain in the background yet again?!) but your latest Les Barker offering is well, Titanic…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTGLELwcF-o&feature=uploademail
I’m sure it could be set to music hall-style melody. AFSADDERS, I’ve had to post it here. I’ve not stopped laughing! But see Muzza’s covers of some other AFSAD songs as well.
@ Jane, thanks for the link
@Muzza superb.
Jane , that link led to half hour of Les Barker, Thanks. Just listened to bonus track sung by Fay, don’t miss it .