Lyr Req: Martinmas Time

Subject: Lyr Req: Woman dressed as Man
From: GUEST,Katie McC
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 02:30 AM

I'm looking for the title and lyrics (and recording) for a song about a woman who makes a wager with a soldier that she can sneak into town without him noticing. She dresses up as a soldier and the men at the gate give her money to stay at the Inn in town. I think it is an Irish song, since I heard it on Fiona Ritchie's Thistle and Shamrock a number of years ago. I've found other songs about women dressing up as men, such as William Taylor, or female Highway robbers, but those are not it. Does this sound familar to anyone?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dressed as Man
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 04:08 AM

Anne Briggs made an excellent job of it under the title 'Martinmas Time' on the Topic album (vinyl) 'Bird In The Bush'.
Don't have lyrics (used to sing it), but it starts:

It fell upon the Martinmas Time,
When the snow lay on the borders,
There came a troop of soldiers here
Seeking out their winter quarters

With me ri fol lol the day, the lol the laddy o
With me ri fol lol the day the laddie i do.

They rode up and they rode down,
And they rode o'er the border,
Until they came to a fair pretty maid
And she was a farmer's daughter.

It's Scots, from Aberdeenshire and can be found in The Greig Duncan Collection, though I can't lay my hands on it at present as it doesn't appear under that title or with that first line.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dressed as Man
From: Roughyed
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 04:14 AM

You'll find it in the DT under Martinmas Time.

Subject: Lyr Add: IT FELL ABOOT (from Greig-Duncan)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:18 AM

From Greig-Duncan
It Fell Aboot

1. As I went out one May morning
'Twas on a morning early O,
And there I spied a weel-faured maid,
She was a farmer's daughter O.

Wi' my right fal adle eadle il ado adi,
Wi' my right fal adle eadle a re.

2 It fell about a Martinmas time
When the snow lay on the borders O
There came a troop o' soldiers here
To take up their winter quarters.

3. They made her swear a solemn oath,
With the salt tear in her e'e O,
That she must go to their quarter gate
That night e'er she did lie O.

4. So she has went to a barber's shop,
To a barber's shop went she O
And she's made them cut her yellow locks
A little above her e'e O.

5. And she's went to a tailor's shop,
To a tailor's shop went she O,
And she's dressed herself in men's clothing,
In men's clothing put she on.
With a pair of pistols hung by her side,
And a nice little boy was she O.

6. Now when she came to their quarter gate
It's loud loud did she call O,
There comes a troop of soldiers here,
And we meaun hae quarters all O.

7 But out then spoke the quarter-man,
For you there is nae room O,
For I hae but one bed to mysel',
And the girlie that is to come O."

8. But he put his hand in his pocket,
And pulled out half-a-crown O,
Says, "Tak' you that, you belted knight,
Go seek lodgings for yersel' O."

9. But she wasna far from their quarter-gate
Till loud loud did she call O,
"You are very kind wi' your purse, young man,
But ye're nae for a girlie at all O."

10. And out then spoke the quarter-man,
"It's we maun hae her in O,"
But she's put the spurs to her horse's side,
And she's won a maiden hame O.

Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dressed as Man
From: Susan of DT
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:58 AM

There is a keyword of transvestite. There are a number of songs where a woman disguises herself as a man, or vice versa.

Subject: Lyr Add: GUS THE MAGIC DRAG QUEEN
From: oldhippie
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 08:39 AM

Including this one:

Gus The Magic Drag Queen (modern Love) lyrics
tune: Puff The Magic Dragon


Gus the magic drag queen lived in 5-C
And he frolicked in the local bars in a dress by Versace
Little Jackie Paper was a poor, young, lonely lad
And his skills at attracting the female sex really were quite bad
Jack came from the suburbs, hadn't seen too much
He didn't know from rubber breasts, which felt real to his touch

Oh Gus the magic drag queen lived in 5-C
And he frolicked in the local bars in a dress by Versace

One night Jack was drinking
at the Judy Garland pub
When Gus waltzed in like Joan Crawford
and Jack fell hard in love
When he saw this fair creature,
he thought he'd take a chance
So Jack bought his love a Chardonnay
and asked Gus for a dance

Oh Gus the magic drag queen lived in 5-C
And he always wore Lee Press-On Breasts and his purse was by Gucci

spoken:
Well I guess you know where this is going
considering what this song's about
And well I guess Gus wasn't gussied up enough
and so Jack soon found him out
And I guess if there's a moral
it's that love can be confusing in our modern world
So you can imagine Gus's great surprise
when he found out that Jack was really a girl

Yes, Jack the lonely drag king lived by the sea
And she frequented the local bars in a suit by Armani
Jack was born a female and had been so all her life
But she dressed like a man and acted like a man and had been looking for a wife
So it didn't work out between Gus and Jack,
though they have remained as close friends
Jack lives alone by the side of the sea,
and Gus married an Oakland Raiders tight end

Gus the magic drag queen lived in 5-C
And he frequented the local bars in a dress by Versace

Gus the magic drag queen lived in 5-C
And she frequented the local bars in a dress by Versace

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dressed as Man
From: GUEST,Katie McC
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 04:41 PM

Thanks Jim! That is the one I was looking for. Because I didn't know the name of the song or the artist, I couldn't find it. I have way too many recordings, and now that I know the title, I've discovered I have two records of Martinmas Time. The one I was remembering was Karan Casey. Andy Irvine has also recorded it. I feel stupid that I couldn't find it before, but happy that itch in the back of my brain is finally gone. Now I can settle down and learn the song, yeay!

Subject: RE: Req: Woman dressed as Man-Martinmas Time
From: masato sakurai
Date: 17 Dec 07 - 03:27 AM

See also Martinmas Time at The Traditional Ballad Index.

Subject: Lyr Add: MARTINMAS TIME
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 17 Dec 07 - 08:30 AM

From the singing of June Tabor, and Paul Brady & Andy Irvine :

It fell out about the Martinmanstime
When snow lay on the border -
There came a troop of soldiers here
To take up their winter quarters.

They rode North and they rode South
And they rode it o'er the Border
And there they met with a jimp young lass
O and she was a farmer's daughter.

Cho : to me right fol ladle eedle eye-la daddy-o
To me right fol ladle eedle eye-ree.

They made her swear a solemn oath
With the salt tear in her eyes O
That she would come to the quartergate
Where no one could her espy O.

She's gone to the barbers shop
To the barbers shop right soon O
And made them cut off her long yellow hair
As short as any dragoon O.

She's gone to the tilors shop
And dressed in soldiers' clothing.
Two long pistols down to her waist
A nice little boy was she O.

She's gone to the quartergate
And loud there she did hollo -
There comes a troop of soldiers here
And we must have lodgings all O.

The quartermaster he came down
And gave her half a crown O
'Go find a lodging down in the town
For here there is no room O'.

She's moved nearer the quartergate
And louder yet did hollo
Roh ! Roh ! ye gentlemen,
We must have lodgings here O.

Ther quartermaster he came down
And he gave her eighteen pence O
Go find a lodging in the town
For tonight here comes a wench O.

She's cut the garters from her knee
And the riband that bound her hair O
And tied them to the quartergate
As a token she'd been there O.

She put a whistle to her lips
And blew both loud and shrill O
Ye're all very free with your eighteen pence
But you're none of you men for a maid O.

When they found that it was her
They tried to have her taken
But she put spurs to her horse's flanks
And she galloped home a maid O.

Favourite song of mine.