The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #160090   Message #3796311
Posted By: Richie
17-Jun-16 - 05:35 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Drowsy Sleeper
Subject: RE: Origins: Drowsy Sleeper
TY Steve for portion. TY Jim for that.

Actually all the stanzas of "Awake, thou fairest thing in nature" appear with slightly different wording in Drowsy Sleeper broadside/trad UK versions. There's no story. It introduces the mother, the broadside pen gives the specific conflict with the father, which was then taken into tradition.

What is curious is that North American versions which probably predate 1817 also have the writing a letter reference.

I'm not able to get the versions from the Grieg-duncan Collection, I think in Volume 3, I only have volume 1. Anyone?

Richie