G'day Philip,

I don't know how successful was the ploy of presenting maudlin music - the song, or at least one tune to it, survives in the Australian country regions as a popular tune for the old dance, the Varsovienne.

Varso tunes are in 3/4 but have a distinctive rhythm on top of that, with a "Turn around and point" 2 bar rhythm in the first part and a Mazurka rhythm for the energetic second part. A typical example of the first part rhythm is "Happy Birthday to You". Varsos certainly would not be described as "maudlin" and the dance was a bit scandalous in its day, since the "point" could show off quite an unseemly amount of ankle!

The words are certainly remembered. Most old players who played this tune called it by the name "Babes in the Wood" and I can remember playing in country areas and someone - usually a woman - from the audience buttonhling me and saying "Do you know that there are words to that tune, and repeating at least the first stanza, pretty much as quoted here.

I must say that the tune I know by this name does not seem to be the same as that sung in America - at least if I can take Garison Keilor's rendition of his parody on "Songs of the Cat" as representative.

I think this song has a long history in England and, like many of its ilk, was irreverently reworked by the Music Hall in the latter part of the 19th century.

Regards,

Bob Bolton