Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse (F Armstrong)

Subject: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: Lorraine
Date: 05 Nov 99 - 06:17 PM

Yes I know it's a varient of Child #212 that's in the DT but I've been trying to decipher Frankie Armstrongs version and a few words escape me-

Little Duke Arthur's Nurse

Young Johnny rode out on a May morning
With his bridle and buckles ringing
And as he rode by the castle gate
He heard a sweet voice singing

...
So go ye down to yon ------house
where welcoming lights are beckoning
And as sure as I am a woman true
I'll come love and pay you your reckoning

Well he's--------------------beer
And the wine he kept them a pouring
And every glass he's drunk to the lass
Who was coming to him in the morning
...
They've stuck the feathered beds all around and about
Til the-----their swords were a raking
And as they run in and as they run out
They said "What Bonny lass are ye baking?"
..

The rest I can figure out and of course am perfectly willing to write all out but it's very similar the what is in the DT. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks-Lorraine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: Lorraine
Date: 05 Nov 99 - 06:18 PM

Ah shucks I didn't figure out how to make it neat verses. Sorry! Lorraine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: Aldus
Date: 10 Nov 99 - 08:44 AM

Sorry, I've never been able to make out the lyrics either. However, I woild be very interested to know if The Frankie Armstrong version is available on Cd.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: Lorraine
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 09:15 AM

I don't know the answer but some where on the web I stumbled across a Frankie Armstrong home page or promotional space and I bet it would be listed. If we asked Wally of Camsco I bet he'd know too. I am pretty hopeless is navigation when it comes to computers. But if you started a new thread with a catchy title maybe we'd discover CD's.--Lorraine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: Anglofile
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 05:41 PM

Lorraine,

I learned this song a few years ago off of a tape a friend made for me, so I don't know the artist (who was female). Here's what I used for your missing words:

So go ye down to yon PUBLIC house
where welcoming lights are beckoning
They've stuck the feathered beds all around and about
AND THE CURTAINS their swords were a-raking
Well he's CALLED FOR ALE AND HE'S CALLED FOR beer
And the wine he kept them a pouring

Of course, you can just make up your own words to fill in, as well.

I find this a challenging song to sing, since the tempo is fast and there are lots of unusual words to get through. I presented it in a workshop called "Pirate Queens and Handsome Cabin Boys" which was devoted to traditional songs about transvestitism.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Nov 99 - 10:35 PM

So go you down to yon tavern house
Where the welcoming lights are a-beckoning
And sure as I'm a woman true
I'll come, love, and pay for your reckoning.

Well he's spared not the cheer of the Whitby beer...

They scattered feather beds all around and about
Till the curtains their swords was a-raking
And as they run in and as they run out
They said, "That, bonny lass, for your baking".

That's the closest I can get to the bits you mention. Oh...castle wall, not gate.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: Boho
Date: 17 Apr 09 - 03:50 AM

I used to have this song on an old home-made tape, performed by Australian band Mara! from an album called Images. I have been trying to remember all the words for months. As far as I can judge from the posts on this thread the Mara! version is fairly close to the Frankie Armstrong version, but not identical. What's below is pretty much entirely dredged up from memory, together with bits from the above posts and my assumptions about verses I can't remember at all based on the DigiTrad Duke of Athol's Nurse [in square brackets]. This album doesn't appear ever to have been available on CD, and is apparently no longer available even on vinyl (not that I have anything to play it on even if it were). It would be fantastic if anyone could help me fill in the blanks.

Young Johnny rode out on a May morning
With his buckles and bridle ringing
And as he rode by the castle wall
He heard a sweet voice singing:

"Oh, I'm the little Duke Arthur's nurse
And the post do well become me,
But I'd give both of my gay gold rings
For a sight and a kiss of my Johnny!"

"If you're the little Duke Arthur's nurse,
Were ye never half so bonny,
Keep well, keep well of your gay gold rings,
For you'll have a sight of your Johnny."

Then he leaned over his saddle bow
And…..
He said, "You have my heart but another has my hand,
So much good would it do you."

"If I have your heart but another has your hand
These words have fair undone me.
But let's make a tryst when we'll meet again
And then in love I'll entwine ye."

"So go you down to yon tavern house
Where the welcoming lights are beckoning
And sure as I'm a woman true
I'll come to settle your reckoning."

[Verse where she tells him not to spare on the drinking and she'll be there by dawn.]

Well he's spared not the cheer of the [Whitby] beer,
And the wine they kept on pouring
And every glass he's drunk to the lass
Who was coming to him ere the morning.

[Verse where he wonders where on earth she can have got to.]

Now he looked out of the shop window
A little before the dawn-o
And here come running her brothers three
With their naked swords all a-drawn-o.

"Oh, landlady, landlady! What shall I do?
My life's not worth a halfpenny,
For she who was to lie with me
Has sent her brothers to slay me!"

[Verse where the landlady dresses Johnny in her clothes and sets him to the baking]
She put on her petticoats

[Verse where the brothers come into the tavern]

"Oh did you have a lodger here last night
Who drank till the dawn was beckoning?
So show us the room where the lodger ….
For we've come to settle his reckoning."

"No, we never had a lodger here last night
Who drank till the …….
He called for a pint, an' he paid it ere he went,
…….."

One of them being in a very merry mood,
[To the young squire fell a-talkin'.
The wife took her foot an' she gae him a kick
Says, "Haste ye, bonnie Annie, wi your bakin."]

They've … the house up and they've … the house down
Till the ….. was shaking
And every one as they passed him by
Kissed the bonny lass at the baking.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: GUEST,Heather in Bremerton
Date: 30 Apr 09 - 04:11 AM

Your Australian version is very close to the one Frankie Armstrong did in Songs and Ballads. I learned it from there. For some reason (chemicals?) there are no gaps in my transcription of the lyrics, I was 18 when I learned it and I listened to it many, many times to get the words. I've filled in what appeared to be the gaps in the most definitive version (Boho's), plus the verse FA had in where Boho left out either verse or paraphrase of verse to fill in storyline. If anyone wants or needs the lyrics to this or Lament For the Hull Trawlers, or Collier Lass (although Susanne Kalwiet of Kiel already has it online from the same album) or Pitmen's Union (I actually posted that last year on another Frankie thread: http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=70303 ) just send a comment to user catamaraner on YouTube and I will get them to you.

To take up where the ellipses started to appear:

=====

"Aye an' did you have a lodger here last night
drunk till the dawn was beckonin'?
Oh, show us the room where the lodger IS IN,
For we've come to settle his reckoning."

"THERE COME A STRANGER HERE LAST NIGHT,
BUT NOT TO DRINK 'TIL MORNIN'
HE CALLED FOR A PINT AND HE PAID 'ERE HE LEFT,
HE WAS LONG GONE JOHN 'ERE THE DAWNIN'.

THEY STUCK THE FEATHER BEDS AROUND AND ABOUT
THROUGH THE CURTAINS THEIR SWORDS WENT RAKIN'
AND AS THEY RAN IN AND AS THEY RAN OUT,
THEY SAID, "WHAT, BONNIE LASS, ARE YE BAKIN?"

AND One of them being in a very merry mood,
To YOUNG JOHNNY HE fell a-talkin'.
The WOMAN took her foot an' she gae him SUCH a kick
SAYIN' "GIT ON, Annie, with your bakin."

AND AYE AS THE LANDLADY RAN IN AND OUT,
SHE SCOLDED 'TIL THEIR EARS WERE ACHIN'
SHE SAID, "I'VE HAD THIS MERRY YOUNG MAID,
BUT NONE THE LIKES O'YOU WI' THE BAKIN!"

They've TURNED the house up, they've TURNED IT down
WI' THE CROCKERY AND PLATTERS BREAKIN'
And every one of them as HE LEFT THAT INN    [emphasis, poco rit.]
HE kissed the bonnie lass at the baking.

====

Always loved that one! For some reason right now, though, "The Barrin' of the Door" is uppermost in my mind. Can't get me hand out o' me hussyfskep :-) Prepping a show, is the problem. It's like an obsession. Don't forget at least one verse of Hal an' Tow tomorrow, all!

Heather P.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse
From: Catamariner
Date: 30 Apr 09 - 04:39 AM

OK, I joined. So just send any lyrics requests to my username rather than YouTube, which has its own set of issues for IE users. Firefox is a workaround for me, but I would dearly like to know why I can't log in 99% of the time if using IE. I'd guess Susanne is also up for lyrics requests, just Google her.

Subject: Lyr Add: LITTLE DUKE ARTHUR'S NURSE (F Armstrong)
From: Boho
Date: 14 Aug 10 - 02:31 AM

Have managed to get a copy of the Mara! version on CD and given it a thorough listen. I think this is pretty close to the whole thing:

Little Duke Arthur's Nurse

Young Johnny rode out on a May morning
With his buckles and bridles ringing
And as he rode by the castle wall
He's heard a sweet voice singing:

"Oh, I'm the little Duke Arthur's nurse
And the post do well become me,
But I'd give both of me gay gold rings
For a sight and a kiss of me Johnny!"

"If you're the little Duke Arthur's nurse,
You're my sweetheart so bonny,
Keep well, keep wealth of your gay gold rings,
And you'll get two sights of your Johnny."

So he's leaned over his saddle bow
And he's give a sweet kiss to her
Saying, "You have my heart but another has my hand,
So what good can it do you?"

She says, "If I have your heart but another has your hand
These words have fair undone me.
So let's make a time when we'll meet again
And then in love you can twine me."

"So go you down to yon tavern house
With the welcoming light a-beckoning
And sure as I'm a woman true
I'll come, love, and pay you your reckoning."

Well he's spared not the cheer of the Whitby beer,
And the wine he's kept on pouring
And every glass he's drank to the lass
Who was coming to him ere the morning.

And he's looked out of the shop window
A little before the dawn-o
And there come running her brothers three
With their naked swords all a-drawn-o.

"Oh, landlady, landlady! What shall I do?
For me life's not worth a halfpenny,
For she that was to lie with me
Has sent her brothers to slay me!"

She's taken off her petticoat,
Likewise her gown and apron;
She's taken the kerchief off of her head
And she's set young Johnny to the baking.

Aye, she give him a suit of the female clothes -
He made a pretty fine maiden.
And the birds never sang so sweet in the trees
As young Johnny sang at the baking.

And when they stood in the kitchen door
They rattled their swords about 'em
And when they stood in the kitchen door
So loudly there they were shouting:

"Oh, did you have a lodger here last night
Who drank till the dawn was beckoning?
Then show us the room where the lodger is in
For we've come to settle his reckoning."

"Aye, there came a stranger here last night,
But not to drink 'til the mornin'.
He's called for a pint and he paid 'ere he left,
He was long gone john 'ere the dawnin'.

They stuck the feather beds all around and about,
Through the curtains their swords went rakin'
And as they ran in and as they ran out,
They said, "Ha! Bonnie lass, are ye bakin'?"

And one of them being in a very merry mood,
To young Johnny set to talkin'.
Well, the woman took her foot an' she give him such a kick
Sayin', "Git on, Annie, with your bakin'."

And aye as the landlady ran in and out,
She scolded 'til their ears were achin'.
She said, "I have had this many a maid,
But none the likes o' you wi' the bakin!"

They've turned the house up, they've turned it down,
The crockery and platters breakin'
And every one of them that left that inn
He kissed the bonnie lass at the baking.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse (F Armstrong)
From: MartinNail
Date: 11 Nov 20 - 04:31 PM

Does anyone know where the title 'Little Duke Arthur's Nurse' comes from?

According to Mainly Norfolk, the sleeve notes to 'Songs and Ballads' say that 'This anglicised set is based mainly on the version sung to Greig by Alexander Robb'. However, as far as I can see, Robb's version is called 'The Duke of Athole's Nurse' (it's version 4 in Bronson). And I can't see anyother version with the title that Frankie uses. I must be missing something, so can someone point me in the right direction?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Duke Arthur's Nurse (F Armstrong)
From: Catamariner
Date: 22 Feb 21 - 04:18 PM

Frankie's version is closest to Child 212 version "F" but hers is a lot more accessible, linguistically. Love it! - Heather P. no longer in Bremerton :-)