The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #91202 Message #1733879
Posted By: Malcolm Douglas
06-May-06 - 03:29 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Mathy Groves
Subject: RE: Searching for Mathy Groves lyrics
The DT file MATTIE GROVES appears to be a transcription of the Fairport recording, though it contains some odd mis-hearings that really ought to be corrected. An old thread on the subject also has a transcription of the same recording (see links above) which isn't entirely accurate, but is a lot better than the DT job.
This is one song where you really do have to look for alternative spellings. Musgrave (etc) has mutated into many forms over several hundred years (my favourite is Little Moth Grone) and rather a lot of traditional versions have turned up in the century and more since Child published his collection. Bronson (Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads, II, 1962) has more than 70, and more examples have come to light since then.