Help identify song: Come all ye men of high renown

Subject: Origins: Help with identifying this song
From: Zimmerman
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 05:51 AM

Can anyone help with the provenance of this ballad?


Come all ye men of high renown and listen to my song
And likewise all you maidens fair, I'll not detain you long
And if you'll pay attention a tale to you I'll tell
Of what befell all on a day you should remember well

I pray you all and give an ear mark well what I do say
Of when the lambs and songbirds sweet do love to sport and play
And when the sun doth rise up in the springtime of the year
Of what in time may come to pass you soon shall plainly hear

Through many a cold and rainy night this story has been told
In stormy seas and living gales by jolly seamen bold
Likewise by maids and serving men it may not be denied
And gamekeepers and poachers all, down by the greenwood side

O, hark now true born English men wherever you are found,
Just give an ear and you shall hear if you will gather round.
The songs so sweet and minstrelsy of that which might befall
So every wight of honour bright come listen one and all.

As oft is told of sporting blades and maidens young and gay
When true love's course is cast aside now hear my plaintive lay
O and though your hearts be filled with sorrow, grief and woe
Draw near and heed the tidings that I'll have you all to know

The night is fast approaching now and I'll relate to you
Of how my burden is laid down as I have told you true
And so all things must come to pass as you may understand
This news in England shall be known likewise in distant lands.

Subject: RE: Origins: Help with identifying this song
From: IanC
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 07:16 AM

Sounds like the very long preamble to an extremely long "poetic ballad" written by some 19th Century bloke.

Do you have the other 194 verses?

:-)

Subject: RE: Origins: Help with identifying this song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Nov 10 - 07:25 AM

Stan Kelly and Eric Winter put together a similar compendium of street ballad clichés, but with a more Oirish flavour:

Come all you gallant Irish lads wherever you may be,
I hope you'll pay attention and listen unto me,
I hope you'll pay attention lads no matter where you dwell,
It's of a brave young hero the truth to you I'll tell.

I hope you'll all be patient lads while I the truth unfold
Concerning this young hero who was valiant, brave and bold,
So sit back Jack and just relax and listen to my song,
It's something strange and tragical, it won't detain you long.

You toilers of the nation, I hope you wil draw near,
A new and strange narration I mean to let you hear,
'Tis for your information I take my pen in hand,
And long before I've finished I hope you'll understand.

Men of honest labour who stand in Freedom's name,
Go rouse up your neighbour and put the world to shame,
You valiant sons of valiant men wherever you are found,
Just give an ear and you shall hear, if you will gather round.

'Twas early morning in the springtime of the year,
No cloud was hanging in the sky, the sun it did shine clear,
The funeral drums their note did sound high o'er the hilss around
And Erin wept to see her son laid in the grassy ground.

Go where you will o'er vale and hill, past mountains short and
tall,
You'll hear this toast: He was the most to his neighbours one and
all,
So honour him in story, in song and poetry,
With those who've gone before he'll take his place in history.

So praise God all you Protestants, be humble while you may,
And likewise all good Catholics, and do not you dismay,
He held the standard proudly and he died for Ireland's cause,
Upholding all that we hold dear -- religion, truth and laws.

So let's rejoice with heart and voice we knew our comrade dear,
His heart is stilled and yet his spirit lives another year,
I thank you for your courtesy in listening to my lay,
Farewell you gallant comrades now until another day.

OPTIONAL EXTRA (as the washing-machine salesmen say)

Now eight months being over the night one coming on,
We've got a true perspective on this gallant Irishman,
His story we've considered and between those hallowed walls,
Though we would only whisper it, it sounds a load of...

Subject: Songs that keep on starting over again...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 12:51 PM

No response to Zimmerman's request, I see. "Help with identifying this song" is a not really a very good heading tomchoose for a thread

Subject: RE: Origins: Help with identifying this song
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 04:59 PM

My impression before I read McGrath's posting was precisely the same as his.

Subject: RE: Help identify song: Come all ye men of high renown
From: Little Robyn
Date: 13 Nov 10 - 11:11 PM

The Coppers had one very similar - different story but the same shape:
YOU GENTLEMEN OF HIGH REKNOWN

You gentlemen of high reknown, come listen unto me
That take delight in foxhunting in every high degree
A story true to you I'll tell concerning of a fox
In Oxford Town in Oxfordshire there lived some mighty hounds.

Bold Reynard being all in his den and standing on the ground,
Bold Reynard being all in his den and hearing of those hounds;
"I think I hear some joyful hounds thinking for me to kill,
But before they catch me by my brush I'll climb those mighty hills."

Bold Reynard cocked up his head, and up the hill he went.
Bold Reynard cocked up his brush, and he left a gallant scent.
"Your hounds are staunch, I know them well they drive me like the wind,
I will step so lightly on the ground I'll leave no scent behind."

We drove bold Reynard five hours or more without a check of speed,
We drove bold Reynard five hours or more 'til we came to Oxford Green.
There we caught bold Reynard by his brush, never to let him go
He has had so many of our feathered fowls down in the valley below.

Our huntsman blows his joyful sound "Relope, my boys, fulfil.
He will have no more of our feathered fowls nor lambs on yonder hill."
"Oh pardon, huntsman!" then he cried."No pardon shall you have
Take off his head, likewise his brush and give him three hurrays."

From the singing of Bob and Ron Copper

Robyn

Subject: RE: Help identify song: Come all ye men of high renown
From: Zimmerman
Date: 14 Nov 10 - 08:21 AM

Thanks for renaming the thread - I agree it makes more sense.

Subject: RE: Help identify song: Come all ye men of high renown
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 14 Nov 10 - 09:44 AM

Little Robyn: The fourth line doesn't sound right to me. I think it should be something like

A story true to you I'll tell concerning of a fox
That happened once in Oxford Town in the Shire of Ford Ox.

- though I'm not quite sure ;-)

Subject: RE: Help identify song: Come all ye men of high renown
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 14 Nov 10 - 10:06 AM

Google votes for "... Near Royston Hills and mountains high and over stony rocks."

Subject: RE: Help identify song: Come all ye men of high renown
From: Zimmerman
Date: 22 Nov 10 - 03:49 PM

I have belatedly caught up with a PM from Joe asking where I found the song and have to say that it was in a folder stuffed with handwritten song lyrics from the pre-internet stone age when you either made someone sit down after a gig and write you the words or you laboriously transcribed them from LPs and tapes. I didn't recognise the handwriting, or remember when I got them, hence the original post.

Subject: RE: Help identify song: Come all ye men of high renown
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 22 Nov 10 - 04:58 PM

It has its charm as a collection of nonsense, but it could surely be lost in the singing of it. I suspect you wrote it yourself and then forgot about it. I do that often.