ADD: The Butcher and the Parson (Parson's Wife)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BUTCHER AND THE PARSON'S WIFE (Tawney
From: Gurney
Date: 23 Jan 11 - 05:31 PM

Couldn't find this on the site, and I'd mentioned it on a past thread, so.....

THE BUTCHER AND THE PARSON'S WIFE. From the singing of Cyril Tawney.

It's of a rich Butcher, so I've heard them say
He married a damsel both buxom and gay
When the Butcher is gone to the market for veal
The Parson is kissing his wife all the while

(Chorus)       And sing fol-the-rol, fol the rol day.

Now, the Butcher being jealous all of this same thing
He hid under the bed to see who should come in.
In comes the Parson, and shuts (of) the door
'Aha,' thinks the Butcher, I desire of no more!

He waits under the bed 'till they're both fast asleep
Then out of the bedroom so softly does creep
Puts on Parson's best britches, his wig, and his cloak
And away to his lady, to make up the joke.

He knocks on the door, with his courage so bold
With Parson's best coat on, and plenty of gold.
The maid, she comes down in the dead of the night,
She was half fast-asleep when she gives him a light.

"Where is your mistress?" "In bed!" said the maid.
"Go open the door, then, unto her." He said. (sayed)
He walks up the stairs, he pretends himself drunk.
He stumbled, he fumbled, he fell over a trunk.

He jumps into bed, gives the candle a puff
The lady, she turns herself 'round in a huff.
She says, "My good fellow, come touch me no more
For you've been carousing, along with some whore!"

But the Butcher begins for to tickle her knees
And then he does turn himself 'round for to please
She turns herself 'round, and no more does she say
But lies in his arms 'till the break of the day.

When daylight appears, and she looks in his face
Well, then she cries out in a pitiful case!
He said, "My good lady, don't be in affright
For your husband has slept with my wife all this night!"

To the Butcher's house straight way this young couple they go
And there find the Parson all sorrow and woe.
She says "Mr. Parson, and where might you be,
When he had your clothes on and came unto me?"

Said Parson to the Butcher, "Here is (fifty pound)
For fear that the news might go parish around
And all of my congregation might say
'The Parson, our minister, led us astray!'"

Thee is a guy singing this on YouTube. Cyril sang the same tune, but more like a Waltz.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Butcher and the Parson's Wife.
From: Gurney
Date: 24 Jan 11 - 01:16 AM

Sinking like a stone. OK, to the top just once.....

Subject: Origins: The butcher and the parson
From: Greum
Date: 17 Mar 22 - 02:40 PM

Sorry if that has already been asked but the search isn't working so I can't tell!

Does anyone know the origins of The Butcher and the Parson? The Druids claim on their album Burnt Offering that it comes from SW England but that's all and I've not found it anywhere on t' interwebz.

I can post the lyrics if anyone is interested.

Subject: RE: Origins: The butcher and the parson
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Mar 22 - 02:58 PM

Are you sure it's not https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=135164>

While Mudcat search is down, you can take a look at our Mudcat FAQ - Newcomer's Guide and read the part on all of our alternate search engines. If you had put parson in the Filter box at the top of the list of threads and set the age back to "all," it would have popped right up.

If you had put "Butcher and the parson" in quotes and mudcat in Google search, it would have come right up. All of these techniques are explained in the Mudcat FAQ.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Butcher and the Parson's Wife (Tawney
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Mar 22 - 03:18 PM

This recording calls it "Butcher and the Parson":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wpa7HUfyEc

Reinhard's Mainly Norfolk has a bit about the album by the Druids:

https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/records/thedruids.html

The Roud Index lists it as #17188 - with manuscripts here (click)

Can you post the lyrics from the recording by The Druids?

Subject: RE: ADD: The Butcher and the Parson (Parson's Wife)
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 23 - 05:23 AM

A bit late, but lyrics from The Druids...

THE BUTCHER AND THE PARSON

It's of a bold butcher as I've heard men say
Who married him a lady both buxom and gay
While the butcher was out at the market for meal
The_ parson come kissing his wife all the while.
And sing fol-de-rol lol-de-rol day

Now the butcher being jealous all of this same thing
Hid under the bed for to see him come in
Well he hadn't been there twenty minutes or more
When in comes the parson and he's closed the door.
And sing...

Now they're into bed and they're both fast asleep
And from under the bed this bold butcher did creep
Puts on parson's best breeches, his wig and his cloak
And he's off to his lady to make up the joke.
And sing...

So it off to the parson's this butcher he rode
With the parson's best coat on and plenty of goad
He arrived at the house in the midst of the night
And the maid's half asleep and she's give him the light.
And sing...

"Now where is your mistress?" "In bed," says the maid
"Then show me the way right up to her," he said
He went up the stairs and pretend himself drunk
He rumbled, he stumbled, fell over a trunk.
And sing...

Well he jumps in to bed gives the candle a puff
And the lady she turns herself round in a huff
"Be off, my good parson and touch me no more
For you've been carousing along with some whore."
And sing...

But the butcher began for to tickle her knees
And the lady she turns herself round for to please
She turned herself round, not one word did she say
But she lay in his arms till the break of the day.
And sing...

Now when she awoke and stared into his face
She started to scream in a pitiful case
"Oh no," says the butcher, "now don't you take flight
For your husband has slept with my wife all the night."
And sing...

Now round to butcher's this couple did go
And there sits the parson all sorry and woe
"And now my good parson where might you have been
When you put on your cloak and came round unto me?"
And sing...

To the butcher says parson, "Now here's fifty pounds
For fear that the news may go parish around
For fear that the congregation might say
The parson, our minister, has led us astray."
And sing...

Subject: RE: ADD: The Butcher and the Parson (Parson's Wife)
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 26 Apr 23 - 07:18 AM

Bert Lloyd put a tune to this, and the original tune and words are in 'Southern Songster'.

Subject: RE: ADD: The Butcher and the Parson (Parson's Wife)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 26 Apr 23 - 03:49 PM

Summary from my extensive notes at the back of 'Southern Songster'.

The theme of double cuckoldry goes back at least to the 17th century in several ballads. Developed further in the 18th century the protagonists are of a variety of different occupations. 'The Parson and the Butcher' must have been shortened from the 15 stanzas of the 18th century down to the 11 from 2 Dorset singers. A shorter 19th century broadside is probably the source but this hasn't yet surfaced. Hammond's tune notebook went missing from the VWML and with no other versions Bert Lloyd (who else?) appears to have provided his own tune. Bert claimed to have copied down the tune before the Ms went missing.