The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #173450   Message #4206232
Posted By: Joe Offer
29-Jul-24 - 05:28 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Gossip Joan
Subject: Origins: Gossip Joan
Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:

Gossip Joan (Neighbor Jones)

DESCRIPTION: "Good morrow, Gossip Joan, Where have you been a-walking? I have for you, for you for you, for you for you... a budget full of wonders." The wonders are listed: A cow with a calf that cannot eat hay, a duck which died from eating a snail
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1720 (Pills to Purge Melancholy)
KEYWORDS: talltale animal
FOUND IN: Britain(England) US(SE)
REFERENCES (9 citations):
Chappell-PopularMusicOfTheOldenTime, pp. 672-673, "Good Morrow, Gossip Joan" (1 text, 1 tune)
Chappell/Wooldridge-OldEnglishPopularMusic II, p. 98, "Good Morrow, Gossip Joan" (1 text, 1 tune)
Harding-FolkSongsOfLancashire, p. 34, "Gossip Joan" (1 text, 1 tune)
Reeves/Sharp-TheIdiomOfThePeople 37, "Gossip Joan" (2 texts)
Reeves-TheEverlastingCircle 54, "Gossip Joan" (1 text)
Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames, pp. 41-42, "Gossip Joan" (1 text) (also Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Ox 262)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore3 144, "Neighbour Jones" (1 text)
Scott-EnglishSongBook, pp. 38-39, "Good Morrow, Gossip Joan" (1 short text, 1 tune; the text may not be original)
ADDITIONAL: Wit and Mirth, or, Pills to Purge Melancholy (London, 1720 ("Digitized by Google")), Vol VI, pp. 315-316, "The Woman's Complaint to Her Neighbor" (1 text, 1 tune)

Roud #1039
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Martin Said To His Man" (theme)
NOTES [72 words]: Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO has one verse not in Williams-FolkSongsOfTheUpperThames ("My duck has swallowed a snail ...."). - BS
The Civil War general D. R. Jones (David Rumph Jones, 1825-1863), who eventually came to command a division in the Army of Northern Virginia, was known by the nickname "Neighbor Jones." Since none of the sources I checked explained how he came by the nickname, I do not know if it is related to this song. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.7
File: Br3144

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The Woman's Complaint to her Neighbour.

GOOD morrow Gossip Joan,

Where have you been a Walking?

I have for you at Home,

A Budget full of Talking,

Gossip Joan.

My Sparrow's flown away,

And will no more come to me;

I've broke a Glass to Day,

The Price will quite undo me,

Gossip Joan.

316

I've lost a Harry Groat,

Was left me by my Granny;

I cannot find it out,

I've search'd in every Cranny,

Gossip Joan.

My Goose has laid away,

I know not what's the Reason;

My Hen has hatch'd to Day,

A Week before the Season,

Gossip Joan.

I've lost my Wedding-Ring,

That was made of Silver gilt;

I had Drink would please a King,

And the whorish Cat has spill'd it,

Gossip Joan.

My Duck has eat a Snail,

And is not that a Wonder;

The HORNS bud out at Tail,

And have split her Rump asunder,

Gossip Joan.

My Pocket is cut off,

That was full of Sugar-candy;

I cannot stop my Cough,

Without a Gill of Brandy,

Gossip Joan.

O I am sick at Heart,

Therefore pray give me some Ginger;

I cannot Sneeze or Fart,

Therefore pray put in Finger,

Gossip Joan.

O pitty, pitty me,

Or I shall go Distracted;

I have cry'd 'till I can't see,

To think how things are acted,

Gossip Joan.

Let's to the Ale-house go,

And wash down all my Sorrow;

My Griefs you there shall know,

And we'll meet again to morrow,

Gossip Joan.

317

from Wit and Mirth: or Pills to Purge Melancholy, Edited by Thomas D'Urfey
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/33404/33404-h/33404-h.htm#page315