Lyr Add: The Jolly Little Tailor

Subject: Lyr Add: THE JOLLY LITTLE TAILOR^^
From: George Henderson.
Date: 15 Jan 99 - 08:11 AM

I tried to post this yesterday put couldn't get through.

Ceremonial songs.

Songs about different ceremonies are very common in the UK. I like a lot of these songs and one which I got from a man called John Knight, long since dead I'm afraid, does not appear to be in the DT data base. It is a New Year song and is a little risque, but great fun :

The Jolly Little Tailor

Come ladies and gentlemen and list to what I say
I'll sing to you a song from the north counter-ie.
In a village near to Whitby Town a tailor once did dwell.
And wine and women's company he loved them right well.

At a dance one New Year's evening this tailor did attend,
I'm sure that he would never have gone had foreseen the end.
For the jolly little tailor will never forget that night,
There never was a tailor seen in such a sorry plight.

He danced and he sang and he drank whisky many's the tot,
The jolly little tailor was the merriest of the lot.
To the lady he was dancing with the tailor he did say,
"If you lend to me your petticoat I'll dance all like a maid."

His breeches he took off and her petticoat did adorn,
The little tailor's breeches she quickly did adorn.
The fiddler he played to them a merry merry tune,
She danced money watch and breeches right out of the room.

"Oh bring back my breeches," the tailor loud did loudly call
"Oh bring to me my breeches my money watch and all."
The crowd they all assembled and loud with laughter did roar,
When the little tailor's petticoat fell down upon the floor

"Oh Lord," cried the tailor, "forever down I'll be,
Oh Lord," then cried the tailor. "have pity now on me."
What to do the little tailor he really didn't know,
For his little shirt was far too short to cover all below.

The fiddler he played a tune for all that he was worth.
The tune he played the tailor was the famous "Cock o' the north"
All the ladies were delighted but soon they shouted "NO"
When the tailor took his trilby off to cover Uncle Joe.

Well when this little tailor got out into the street.
A pretty fair damsel he chanc- ed for to meet,
This lady she laughed and sang when the tailor did appear,
She wished him a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The jolly little tailor this lady did address,
"You know it is not ladylike to laugh at man's distress,"
Said the lady to the tailor "Give me no more of that,
I you call yourself a gentleman why don't you raise your hat."

In a village near to Whitby town there's old men living yet,
Who'll tell to you a story that they never will forget.
Old ladies too will tell to you the dance they loved the best,
Was the dance the little tailor showed his cuckoo's nest.

And the poor little tailor from that day to this,
Of wine and women's company he gives them all a miss.
At the dance the little tailor they ne'er no more did catch.
Since the lady stole his breeches his money and his watch.

Subject: RE: Ceremonial songs
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 15 Jan 99 - 09:07 AM

G'day,
Click here For the version in the DT.

But this version is significantly different.

Cheers,
Alan

---

I combined threads in an attempt to avoid splitting the discussion. Messages below are from a new thread. Note that George has revised the lyrics he posted in the earlier thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: THE JOLLY LITTLE TAILOR^^
From: GUEST,George Henderson NSC
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 02:43 PM

The Jolly Little Tailor

Come ladies and gentlemen and list to what I say,
I'll sing to you a song from the north country,
In a village near to Whitby town a tailor once did dwell,
And wine and women's company he loved them right well.

At a dance one New Years evening this tailor did attend,
I'm sure that he would never have gone had he foreseen the end.
For this jolly little tailor will never forget that night,
There never was a tailor seen in such a sorry plight.

The jolly little tailor he drank whisky many's the tot,
The jolly little tailor was the merriest of the lot.
To the lady he was dancing with the tailor he did say,
"If you lend to me your petticoats I'll dance all like a maid."

Well his breeches he took off and her petticoats he put on,
The little tailor's breeches she quickly did adorn,
The fiddler he played to them a merry, merry tune,
She danced money watch and breeches right out of the room.

"Oh bring back me breeches" the tailor did loudly call,
"Oh bring to me my breeches my money watch and all"
The crowd they all assembled and loud with laughter did roar,
When the little tailor's petticoat fell down upon the floor.

"Oh lord" cried the tailor "forever down I'll be,"
"Oh lord" then cried the tailor "have pity now on me".
What to do the little tailor he really didn't know,
For his little shirt was far too short to cover all below.

Well the fiddler he played a tune for all that he was worth,
The tune he played the tailor was the famous Cock o' the north,
All the ladies were delighted but soon they shouted no,
When the tailor took his trilby off to cover Uncle Joe.

Well when at last this tailor got out into the street,
A pretty fair damsel he chanced for to meet,
This lady she danced and sang when the tailor did appear,
She wished him a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The jolly little tailor this lady did address,
"You know it is not ladylike to laugh at mans distress,"
Said the lady to the tailor," Give me no more of that,
If you call yourself a gentleman why don't you raise your hat."

In a village hear to Whitby town there's old men living yet
Who'll tell to you a story that they never will forget,
Old ladies too will tell to you the dance they loved the best,
was the dance the little tailor showed his cuckoo's nest.

And the poor little tailor from that day to this ,
Wine and women's company he gives them all a miss,
At a dance the little tailor they ne'er no more did catch,
Since the lady stole his breeches, his money and his watch.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Jolly Little Tailor
From: MMario
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 03:03 PM

Hi george! that looks to be the same storyline as The Tailor's Breeches

are the tunes similair?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Jolly Little Tailor
From: Anglo
Date: 04 Dec 00 - 04:48 PM

I think this is probably the most collected song in England, because all the Folklore students at Sheffield go out and "collect" it (or so I've heard). Sorry, but I forget the name of the source. Martin Carthy sings it on occasion, though he's not recorded it; it was recorded quite a while ago by Derek & Dorothy Elliott.

The tune's different from the Purslow set. It's a bit like "Pleasant and Delight ful" in jig time, without the chorus.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Jolly Little Tailor
From: GUEST,George Henderson
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 03:31 AM

MMario

Yep same story

Anglo.

I heard Marton Carthy sing this version in Inishowen last year. He is the only person other than my source, John Knight, and myself that I have ever heard singing this version although that would not be unusual as I reside in Ireland and cannot mix with other possible singers of such songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Jolly Little Tailor
From: Anglo
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 12:08 PM

I just went and explored my LPs. On the Derek & Dorothy Elliott recording (from 1976), they thank Tony Heald of the Leeds University Institute of Dialect and Folk Life Studies, for permission to use two songs collected by Colin Wharton from the singing of Arthur Wood of Goathland, Yorkshire — The Tailor's Breeches and The Old Woman From Yorkshire.

Given the proliferation of recordings of traditional singers I'm surprised the source version isn't available somewhere (it might be, but I don't know of it).