Gurney: "Stripey and Blondie" is not by Cyril Tawney, but is included in his anthology, _Grey Funnel Lines_, of 20th-century British Navy songs. It counts as traditional by my naive definition. Of course, it got its tune & plot from "Frankie and Johnny", but the details are different enough: the locale is Malta, the jealous Blondie blows up the whole bar (no rooty-toot-toot for her!), and, indeed, her rival is male, a fact that is mentioned with no fuss at all; the moral is simply "Never run an OD winger And a blonde barmaid as well". I would say that this song satisfies Glynis's query.

Another song that (at least in one version) takes bisexuality for granted is "The Soldier's Litany". After praying for a wench, the soldier & sailor pray for a boy (Amen, said the sailor, may he bring us great joy. And if we have one boy then may we have ten: May we have a bloody orphanage! Said the sailor: Amen).

--- Joe Fineman    joe_f@verizon.net

||: People would never fall in love if they hadn't heard of it. :||