Here's Llyod's version of Pitman's Love song that he revived from John Bell of Newcastle whose version dates c.1830:

I Wish I Wish (or: the pitman's love song)as sung by A. L. Lloyd

    (Trad)

    I wish my love she was a cherry
    A-growing on yon cherry tree
    And I myself a bonnie blackbird
    How I would peck that sweet cherry

    I wish my love she was a red rose
    A-growing on yon garden wall
    And I myself a drop of dew
    How on that red rose I would fall

    I wish my love was in a little box
    And I myself to carry the key
    I'd go in to her whenever I'd a mind
    And I'd bear my love good company

    I wish my love she was a grey ewe
    A-grazing by yonder riverside
    And I myself a fine black ram
    Oh on that ewe how I would ride

    My love she's bonnie, my love she's canny
    And she's well favoured for to see
    And the more I think on her my heart is set upon her
    And under her apron I fain would be

    I wish my love she was a bee-skip
    And I myself a bumble-bee
    That I might be a lodger within her
    For she's sweeter than the honey or the honeycomb tea.

This is obviously a different song but it does have the I Wish opening. I've seen Pittman's Love song grouped with version of out ballad I Wish I Wish.

It's curious that many of the "I Wish I Wish" variants (like the three posted in this thread by Scottish singers) also have the alehouse stanza- does that mean they aren't versions of I Wish I Wish anymore?

Aren't they all the same- whether two stanza like Joseph Taylor's, or threes stanzas or six stanzas?

The singers, the Scottish School and Roud consider the alehouse stanza to be part of I wish. So how are they separate variants?

Richie