Lyr ADD: The Travelling Candyman

Subject: Lyr Req: The Travelling Candyman
From: GUEST,George Frampton
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 02:50 PM

I'm told versions come from Northeast England, but it's not in any book or online site I'm aware of

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Travelling Candyman
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 05:29 PM

Hi, George - it's listed in the Traditional Ballad Index:

Travelling Candyman, The

DESCRIPTION: Singer Pat O'Flanagan sails to Glasgow, can't find work, so becomes a "candyman" -- a rag dealer. A woman accuses him of stealing her frock from the line; he denies it, and she hits him. Chorus: "For I take in old iron/I take in old bones and rags..."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1954 (recorded from Jennie Davison)
LONG DESCRIPTION: Singer, Pat O'Flanagan, sails from Belfast to Glasgow, can't find work, so as a last resort becomes a "candyman" -- a rag dealer. A woman accuses him of stealing her frock from the line; he denies it, and she hits him. Chorus: "For I take in old iron/I take in old bones and rags...My name is Pat O'Flanagan/I'm a travelling candyman"
KEYWORDS: poverty accusation violence rambling travel theft clothes commerce work worker Gypsy migrant
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 359, "The Travelling Candyman" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #2163
RECORDINGS:
"Rich" Johnny Connors, "Rambling Candyman" (on IRTravellers01)
NOTES [88 words]: Not to be confused with the American blues song "Candy Man." While ragpicking was usually considered to be a last resort among Travellers, in fact several seem to have made considerable fortunes at the trade. - PJS
The version on IRTravellers01, "made and sung by 'Rich' Johnny Connors," describes an event that happened to the singer. Instead of the frock episode, his episode is about an old man who tried to sell him a sack weighted with "bricks you could plainly see" with which he could not fool "any rambling candy man." - BS
File: K359

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Subject: ADD: The Travelling Candyman
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 05:47 PM

THE TRAVELLING CANDYMAN

CHORUS
For I take in old iron
I take in old bones and rags
And all other different kinds of stuff
And I put them in separate bags
For I have travelled this country o'er
And I'm known by everyone
My name is Pat O Flanagan
I'm a travelling candyman

1. For I'm sailed over from Belfast
The work it was very slack
And when I landed in Glasgow
I was wishing that I was back
I searched for work but no work could I find
So I struck on another plan
I came to the conclusion that
I would be a candyman
Chorus

2. A woman came up the other day
And she said she had lost her frock
Said she: My good man, come and tumble it out
For I know it is in your stock
Says I: My good woman, your frock is not here
And no more of your lip I will stand
Bedad, she up with her ug-e-ly fists
And she nailed the candyman
Chorus


#359 in Peter Kennedy's Folksongs of Britain & Ireland (Schirmer Books, 1975)

Notes: Singer - Jennie Davison, Antrim, N. Ireland, rec. S. Ennis, 1954:BBC21839

Pat O Flanagan, the Irish hero of this traveller's composition, came over to Scotland and turned to rags as a last resort. In fact although dealing in rags is often regarded as the last, desperate occupation, some of the wealthiest travellers in Britain have made their money as dealers in rags 'and all other different kinds of stuff.' Within the branches of a tinker family there will be those who specialize in all the different kinds of materials. Many articles of clothing discarded by house-dwellers can, with a bit of touching up, became serviceable; the rest must be sorted into sacks according to the ways they can be used for furnishings or by paper manufacturers and others. A candyman today must know quite a bit about man-made fibres as well as conventional animal wool cloths, and as much of his time will be spent in sorting as in going round the houses collecting the rags.


I'll transcribe the melody upon request [e-mail]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPx8Qnw9uVU

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: The Travelling Candyman
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Dec 22 - 05:51 PM

Another version, just lisghtly differen at http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/polisci/faculty/boneill/SongTexts/TravellingCandyman.txt

THE TRAVELLING CANDYMAN

When I sailed over from Belfast, the work was very slack.
And when I landed in Glasgow I was wishing that I were back.
I searched for work, but no work could I find, so I hit on another plan.
I came to the conclusion I should be a candyman.

For I take in old iron, take in old bones and rags,
And all other different kinds of stuff, and I put them in separate bags.
I've travelled this country o'er and o'er, and I'm known to everyone.
My name is Pat O'Flannagan, I'm a travelling candyman.

A woman came up the other day and said she had lost her frock.
Said she, "My good man, come tumble it out, for I know it is in your stock."
Said I, "My good woman, your frock is not here, no more of your lip I will stand."
Bedad, she up with her ugly fist, and nailed the candyman.

For I take in old iron, take in old bones and rags,
And all other different kinds of stuff, and I put them in separate bags.
I've travelled this country o'er and o'er, and I'm known to everyone.
My name is Pat O'Flanagan, I'm a travelling candyman.