The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #61924 Message #4215059
Posted By: GUEST,Charles Macfarlane
10-Jan-25 - 07:04 AM
Thread Name: Origins: The Four Loom weavers
Subject: ADD Version: Four Loom Weaver
There is a good version of "Four Loom Weaver" on the Silly Sisters' (June Tabor & Maddy Prior) first eponymous album, which, BTW, is a truly excellent album, one of those rare creations where every track is good, and one which survived the vinyl clearout to be replaced by the CD. However, the CD sleeve notes were dire, nothing but an over-salivating gush about Maddy with barely a mention of June, and none of the useful information from the sleeve insert of the original vinyl, which accordingly I had to transcribe into a file. According to that, the lyrics they sing for "Four Loom Weaver" are as follows:
FOUR LOOM WEAVER
June & Maddy vocals
I'm a four-loom weaver, as many a one knows; I've nowt to eat and I've wore out my clothes; My clogs are both broken and stockings I've none; You'd ne'er give me tuppence for owt I've gotten on.
Old Billy O't Bent he kept telling me long, We might have better times if I'd nobbut hold my tongue; Well I've holden my tongue till I've near lost my breath, And I feel in my own heart I'll soon clem to death.
I'm a four-loom weaver, as many a one knows; I've nowt to eat and I've wore out my clothes; Old Billy's all reet, but he never were clemmed, And he never picked ower in his life!
We held on for six weeks, thought each day were the last; We've tarried and shifted till now we're quite fast; We lived upon nettles while nettles were good, And Waterloo porridge was the best of our food.
I'm a four-loom weaver, as many a one knows; I've nowt to eat and I've worn out my clothes; My clogs are both broken, no looms to weave on, And I've woven myself to far end.