A Folk Song A Day

Jon rightly calls this one “A rather less cheerful May song for you. The tune is my own but based very closely on Rakish Paddy.”

I think the guitar adds a feel of a procession or dance to this, which seems appropriate. I’ve read suggestions that this is C16th, without actually seeing a version dated then and have found an example that certainly dates from the end of the C17th or early C18th, but the concept of the conversation with Death as a person, or indeed The Doleful Dance Of Death seems to be much older. It’s a topic that has doubtless worked its way through our entire history in songs and stories, but the Middle Ages and particularly the time of the first great plague, with the seemingly arbitrary way that death swept through Europe marked a period of obsession with mortality. As well as his own tune Jon sings slightly different words to either Shirley Collins or Waterson:Carthy whose versions you’ll find at Mainly Norfolk. I’ll also give you this Mudcat link to start you off on further research should you want to as there are plenty of links off that are worth a look. Finally I’ll give you this link. I don’t normally add links to the latter site as I’ve never worked out how to turn the blasted midi files off, so the volume or mute may be needed as I find it grates. It does have a rather different version of the song with an extended conversation, the outcome of which, however, is naturally the same.

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I think it’s fair to call this a bit of a hybrid as Jon says, “The story of the early morning tryst on top of a blossom-covered hill always seemed May morning-ish to me anyway, so when I found the ‘13 months’ refrain in a fairly unremarkable Robin Hood ballad it seemed reasonable enough to marry the two together. The tune is Bogie’s Bonny Belle.”

It’s great to get the back story to this as it’s certainly one of my favourites from the current Bellowhead set and that chorus is a great one to bellow (all of the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.) I don’t know what it is that appeals exactly, but it’s quite a gentle tale apart from the horse threatening bit.  Mind you I understand there are some more would-be murderous versions, although the maid’s triumph seems the common outcome. Still there’s something about the wise and wylie old witch’s intervention that I like. It would be great to be able to summon the power of the Broom when you’re in a tight spot – a sort of herbal “beam me up Scotty.” It’s not surprising to find that Child (# 43), Sharp and Vaughan Williams all gobbled this up, with Child in particular alluding to the widespread versions of the story. The magical properties of the Broom or Gorse are a common thread in many European cultures with its flowering in May and June associated with fertility. So Jon’s right to fit this in here. As always Reinhard offers great insight into the various recordings and sleeve notes at Mainly Norfolk. There’s a wealth of material on this and it continues on this Mudcat thread as well. I love that concertina too, which makes it another in the “Vote for May” column. Brilliant!

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Jon calls this “One of my favourite songs and it seems appropriate for the anniversary of the death of Napoleon, even though it’s primarily about his son. This version is learnt from Barry Dransfield’s brilliant album Be Your Own Man – now available on iTunes!”

I must say I really like this one and Jon’s fiddle is a great accompaniment to what is a pretty fetching melody. I’ll refer you to Mudact here as a starter, which suggests the florid language points to a broadside. I think I’d have to agree that it has the feel of a composition in the complexity of the words and you need to have your wits about you to follow it through the first couple of times. Mainly Norfolk has the notes of Bert Lloyd and Nic Jones to explore a little further. Bert’s suggestion of Irish origin, is really based on the ‘my enemies enemy’ principal and quite how far spread the idea of Napoleon as a potential saviour spread is not something I know enough about. There is a certain appeal to the notion and the republican in me rises to the idea, but Bonaparte was flawed and his critics would have him as a tyrannical dictator. The counter is that Napoleon was attacked by those who sought to unpick the effects of the French Revolution before it spread. As usual I have a large hole in the walls of the knowledge bank and empty shelves where all this stuff should be. Best I offer a Wiki link to Napoleon with a note to self to read it all properly over the week off. If any of you feel inclined to prompt my studies further, however, please chip in as this has ‘another project’ written all over it. Still as I said I really like this one and though I still have April as my favourite month of the whole thing, May could eclipse it yet.

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Jon attributes this as “A song I know from Fay who sings it with Damien Barber. I’ve been enjoying the version by the McPeake family too.”

It seems to be associated with the McPeakes for sure, although this is also known as P Stands For Paddy, T Stands For Thomas, etc and other things besides. It’s also one of those somewhat slippery songs whose verses are prone to wander in and out of others, which coupled with its wide spread makes it tricky to pin down. Thankfully Reinhard covers off several of the recordings at Mainly Norfolk and this Mudcat thread tries to get to grips with its origins. You’ll note some dissent as to the Irish root and an attempt to suggest symbolism that doesn’t really stand up to examination. Irish certainly seems likely given both the Skreen location, with the McPeake lineage also looking sound. I am curious as to what the robbing of a birds nest has to do with anything though, unless simply as a feat of derring-do that proves devotion. Any thoughts? While we’re at it, there seems to me to be a strange voyeuristic element that makes you wonder whether the narrator is simply unnoticed by the young couple, or is something slightly more sinister happening. Perhaps I’m being a bit too literal and all that recent gadding off to the woods has got to me.

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Jon acknowledges this as “A very ancient story by all accounts. I think my favourite line is ‘in at her window the knight come a jumping’ ! A great tune by Carthy.”

Martin that is of course. It has several different titles, but the basic plotline is common across Europe and beyond, which at least gives the impression of something properly engrained in folklore and properly very old indeed. It’s in the Child collection as Ballad #4 and was also collected by Vaughan Williams. There are numerous recorded versions of this as you’d expect and Mainly Norfolk covers a fair few of them with sleeve notes and transcriptions. A.L. Lloyd point out that Outlandish in this case means ‘of the outlands’, or wilds, for which you can read Scotland in the British example. Quite why he’s so murderously inclined isn’t explained, but suggests a malevolent spirit or demon, although he could simply be a take-the-money-and-run-serial-killer. Whichever, he is outsmarted here and a good job it is too. I’ll also note that the parrot seems to be an oddity in Britain, although we are somewhat beset by them these days whether they are feral or genuinely migratory (I’ve seen plausible suggestions for both), this still seems a touch exotic. If anyone has a working knowledge of Asian myth you might be able to put Polly in her place. Jon clearly likes this having recorded it in both Spiers & Boden and Bellowhead modes. I’m glad to say that it survives well without the instrumental support of either and is another of the epics that has a strong enough story to carry it through regardless. Marvellous stuff, but remember ladies, be careful what you wish for!!

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