Origins: Do You Love an Apple?

Subject: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From:
Date: 09 Jul 98 - 11:33 PM

I am looking for the music for the song "Do you Love an Apple?" performed by the Both Band, among others. If anyone could tip me off, please do so -- we are looking to use it at our Aug. 16th wedding.

Please mail me at [e-mail]

Thanks much!! Tom

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 09 Jul 98 - 11:36 PM

Go to the upper right hand corner of the screen, enter Do You Love An Apple & then hit the search button, 2 songs will come up, one is what you want. Barry

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jul 98 - 03:28 AM

You'd think that one would be easy to find. You can click here and find the lyrics here in the Digital Tradition, but there's no tune. I looked through a stack of likely songbooks, but couldn't find the tune. Can anybody help?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: BBJ
Date: 10 Jul 98 - 11:33 AM

Maura O'Connell does a really beautiful version of this song on her "Wandering Home" CD. She calls it "Irish Blues". It's one of my favorites on a really great album. Also "Sally Gardens" "Coast of Claire".

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Kathleen
Date: 10 Jul 98 - 04:49 PM

Altan does a nice job with this song, but I forget the album title. When I remember, I'll send it in. Kathleen

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Ian HP
Date: 10 Jul 98 - 07:28 PM

Wonderful version of this by the Bothy Band - original album no longer available (I think) but available on 'The Best of'.

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Benjamin Bodhra/nai/
Date: 10 Jul 98 - 10:31 PM

The Bothy Band Album is stil available thru' Green Linnet, and the song with a variety of different verses is also found in one of those sets of books like the Soodlum set, the name of which escapes me, and it goes by the title "Still I love Him" as the first verse that BB sing is not included.

I'll try to find the name and bounce it in as that has the tune in staff.

B

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: LToynbee
Date: 11 Jul 98 - 09:53 AM

Kate Russell and Christine Kydd also do a lovely version of this song on what seems to me to be a nameless tape I've got!! (Green Trax Lable)

Subject: ADD Chords: Do you Love an Apple?
From: harpgirl
Date: 11 Jul 98 - 12:26 PM

Hiya Joe, whattayaknow?
I play "Do You Love an Apple" with the following chords:
..

  D              G   
Do you love an apple?  
D             G  
Do you love a pear?    
D             G   
Do you love a laddie   
(  )               A  
With curly brown hair  
D         D7  
Oh yes I love him  
G          (  )  
Can"t deny him  
D                  A           D  
I'll stay with him wherever he goes   

sorry, my guitar playing is a tad on the PRIMITIVE side...harpetta

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jul 98 - 08:48 PM

Thanks, Harpgirl - I have a little trouble getting the tune just right in parts of this song, so I'd like to see the actual notes. Anybody able to post this song in ABC or MIDITXT format?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Tune Add: DO YOU LOVE AN APPLE?
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 11 Jul 98 - 10:49 PM

G'day,
Here we go, I played this from memory but it sounds about right. It doesn't appear in my Soodlum collection but "Folksongs & Ballads Popular In Ireland" volume 2 has "Still I Love Him" to a different tune.

---

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

ABC format:

X:1
T:Do You Love An Apple
M:3/4
Q:1/4=100
K:C
G6|c2c2c2|A2G2G2|c2c2c2|A4G2|c2c2c2|A3GE2|
E2D2C2|D4ED|C4D2|E2G4|A4G2|A2c4|c3Bc2|A2G2E2|
D3ED2|C6||

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Jul 98 - 10:56 PM

Thanks, Alan. Makes a lot more sense to me now.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From:
Date: 12 Jul 98 - 12:35 PM

IIRC, Trapezoid did an interesting version of this in their own unique way. . .

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From:
Date: 22 Jul 98 - 01:16 PM

Thanks for all the discussion on the song melody. I can get MIDItext to run, but I cannot SEE the music for it... I can't figure it out.

Any chance that someone could mail me a GIF, BMP or JPG file of it to look at? I would appreciate it. Cheers, Tom

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Jon W.
Date: 22 Jul 98 - 02:48 PM

I made a .bmp using abc2win and Paint. Anyone else want one, I'll email it. [e-mail].

Jon W.

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Jul 98 - 07:53 PM

Noteworthy Composer will display and print music to MIDI files. MusicEase will do the same for SongWright files. There are many programs that will display and print ABC files. ALL are available as shareware.

Subject: Tune 'Do you love an apple'
From: GG
Date: 02 Mar 99 - 01:05 PM

Hi, I"ve seached everywhere for the tune to- Do You Love an Apple [ Irish tune]. Anyone out there have it? Music notation fine.Thank -you.

---

In Mudcat MIDIs:

Do You Love an Apple

He Comes Down Our Alley (from Folksongs of Britain & Ireland, Peter Kennedy)

---

Subject: RE: Tune 'Do you love an apple'
From: harpgirl
Date: 02 Mar 99 - 01:55 PM

Hi GG It's in the DT sweety...type the title into the box in the upper right hand corner. I begin in C and play with CFG and the appropriate 7ths where you hear the changes...harpgirl

Subject: Do You Love an Apple?
From: fae13
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 11:13 AM

Hello Fellow Songweavers...

I am looking for the name of the composer to the tune "Do You Love an Apple?" Now I believe that is the title but I have also heard this song referred to as "Still I Love Him". I am also unsure of the origin of the lyrics as well.. are they Traditional? are they contemp? HELP =)

Any leads would be greatly appreciate.

Light, fae

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: Bert
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 11:25 AM

The tune of 'Still I Love Him' is a close derivative of 'Villikins and His Dinah'

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: MMario
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 11:28 AM

found it in a couple places - in all they were attributed as "traditional irish" - - which doesn't mean either the tune or the lyrics ARE, but....

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: Alice
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 11:52 AM

Another version is called "When I Was Single" (recorded by Clancy/Makem), similar lyrics, but a different tune.

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: Cara
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 01:01 PM

I really like this song. If there are different versions, could you guys please post the lyrics? Thanks.

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: harpgirl
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 01:39 PM

...cara...it's in the DT

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 01:41 PM

There's an English version ("Still I Love Him") on the database. The Bothy Band did a particularly nice version on their first album; the tunes are obviously related.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: Cara
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 03:29 PM

Should have clarified...Different versions than those in the DT...

Thanks harpgirl

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From:
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 03:32 PM

I heard that song performed by Trapazoid many years ago. Does anyone know what has become of the violin player and singer from that group, Freyda Epstein? She has such a wonderful and powerfull voice, is she performing with another group? Thanks Bill L

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: lamarca
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 03:41 PM

Cara, the Irish version in the DT leaves out a verse Triona Ni Dhomnaill sang with The Bothy Band:

He works in the fact'ry for nine bob a week
Come Saturday night he comes roaring home drunk
Ah, but still I love him, I can't deny him
I'll go with him wherever he goes...

It's a beautiful tune that I love singing, but always with a little internal grimace at the doormat personality of the woman. The English version seems worse, since he actually beats her in that one...

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: Susan A-R
Date: 20 Oct 99 - 10:08 PM

It's a beautiful, but difficult song, isn't it? I've always thought that it would make fabulous soundtrack material for a doccumentary on abuse. It's classic. And why are all of the best melodies set to songs that are not politically correct??

Susan A-R

Subject: RE: Do You Love an Apple?
From: Jon W.
Date: 21 Oct 99 - 10:52 AM

I could never understand why my wife likes this song so much. Sure my hair is brown and a little curly but the guy in the song is a total jerk, not like me...-)

BTW if anyone has chords to the Bothy Band version (the only one I've heard) I'd like them, please.

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: GUEST,coldjam
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 11:05 PM

Does anyone know the original writer of this tune? We do a parody and would like to give credit.

Subject: RE: Request: Do you Love an Apple?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 01:55 AM

I think it's traditional, but let's see what we can dig up on it. I'll post the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index, to give us a start.
-Joe Offer-

---

Do You Love an Apple?

DESCRIPTION: The girl loves an uncaring man. She details her abuses ("When I was single, I wore a black shawl; now I'm married, it's overalls," etc.), always ending, "Still I love him, I'll forgive him (or "cannot deny him"), I'll go with him wherever he goes."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1952 (recording, Phil Hammond)
KEYWORDS: love abuse poverty hardtimes
FOUND IN: Britain(England(Lond,North),Scotland(Aber)) Ireland
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Kennedy 203, "He Comes Down our Alley" (1 text, 1 tune)
OShaughnessy-Yellowbelly2 50, "Still I Love Him" (1 text, 1 tune)
MacSeegTrav 30, "Still I Love Him" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber-FSWB, p. 186, "When I Was Single" (1 text)
DT, STILILOV* LOVAPPLE
Roud #654
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "When I Was Young (II)" (theme, floating lyrics)
cf. "For Seven Long Years I've Been Married" (theme)
SAME TUNE:
Margaret Barry & Michael Gorman, "Still I Love Him" (on Barry-Gorman1)
NOTES: The version sung by Charlotte Higgins (in MacSeegTrav) has, rather than overalls, "Now since I'm married I've sweet bugger-all," a rather more vivid description.
The Barry-Gorman recording is an autobiographical rewrite of the traditional song, telling of Barry's life as a singer of traditional songs, but it incorporates a few of the older verses. - PJS
Also collected and sung by David Hammond, "When I Was Single" (on David Hammond, "I Am the Wee Falorie Man: Folk Songs of Ireland," Tradition TCD1052 CD (1997) reissue of Tradition LP TLP 1028 (1959)).
Sean O Boyle, notes to David Hammond, "I Am the Wee Falorie Man: Folk Songs of Ireland": "A Northumbrian song probably imported into Ulster in the 19th century during the American Civil War when the English cotton industry found itself with no raw material and its textile workers came to Ulster to work at the linen." - BS
Last updated in version 3.0
File: K203

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2016 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

Subject: ADD: He Comes Down Our Alley^^
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 02:27 AM

HE COMES DOWN OUR ALLEY

1 He comes down our alley and whistles me out
His hands in his pockets, his shirt 'angin' out
But yus I luvs 'im
I can't denies it
I goes wiv 'im
Wher'ever 'e goes

2 He bought me an 'ankerchief, red white and blue
Outside the pawnshop 'e tore it in two

3 O I like an apple and I like a pear
And I like a feller with nice curly hair

4 'E took me to the public and ordered me stout
Before I could drink it, 'e'd ordered me out

5 Before we was married, we 'ad lots o' quids
But now that we's married, we got lots o' kids^^

Source: Folksongs of Britain and Ireland, Peter Kennedy, 1975

from the singing of Betty Redshaw of London, recorded by Peter Kennedy in 1954.
Kennedy's notes say that the song now seems to be widespread in England, Scotland, and Ireland; but it was not known to the public until it was recorded by Phil Hamond in Norfolk and broadcast in 1952. Its airing on the radio brought a letter from a listener in London who had heard it sung by children in the poorer districts of Liverpool and Birkenhead during the Second World War.
Betty Redshaw learned her version from her grandfather, whose family lived alongside the River Thames at Gravesend in Kent. He kept a notebook of all the old songs and shanties he heard from the sailors who came into the London docks.

---

Click to play

Kennedy cites verses from a number of other versions.
Lucy Stewart of Aberdeenshire Scotland (1954)

When I was single I wore a black shawl
And now since I've married I've got none at all
Still I love him, can't deny it
I'll go with him wherever he goes

Children's version:

O I like an apple and I like a pear
And I like a sailor with nice curly hair
O gee I love 'im, I can't deny it
I'll be with him wherever he goes

He stands on the corner and whistles me out
He shouts Oo-ey, oo-ey, are you coming out?

He takes me to the pictures, he saves me a seat
And when I get there he says, stand on your feet

There's meat in the oven and cakes on the shelf
And if you don't like them I'll eat them me-self

Durham & Northumberland miners' wives:

He gets up in the morning, he chops me some sticks
Lights me the fire up and gang oot at six
But still I love him, cannie laddie
I'll gang wiv him wherever he gangs

He works in the pityard for twelve bob a week
Comes home on the Saturdays as full as a leech.

Fishwives at Yarmouth in Norfolk:

My back is a-breaking, my fingers are sore
Guttin' the herrin' he brings to the shore

If he's gone to heaven, he'll come to no harm
If he's gone down below then he'll keep himself warm

The storm is a-ragin', his boat isn't in
T'others won't tell me what's happened to him^^

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Do you Love an Apple?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 31 Mar 03 - 11:08 PM

You've fallen in love with the tune, perhaps. But why do you want to have this depressing, self-destructive lyric sung at your wedding?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Do you Love an Apple?
From: GUEST,BunnyCymru
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 02:52 PM

This song isn't depressing at all.. it's about real love.. sticking by someone even when it gets hard.

I sang it at my wedding just before the Ceiledh band broke up for the buffet break in the evening.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Do you Love an Apple?
From: michaelr
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 07:01 PM

I'd say it's got Music Hall written all over it.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Origins: Do You Love an Apple?
From: AmyLove
Date: 18 Jan 17 - 08:35 PM

Lyrics to Margaret Barry and Michael Gorman's version (found here )

A promoter named Raymond, he did sign us on
To go over to London to sing an Irish song.
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

We then went to Dublin to see the Lord Mayor,
Who gave us a letter to take over there.
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

We then went to London, that city of renown,
And when I got there they put on my crown.
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

I went into the Mayfair, the Duke I declare,
The way he did look when he did see us there!
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

Now the great royal show band were with us one night,
In the Royal Albert Hall I sang with delight.
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

I went to the window to whistle him out;
The music was going and I was left out!
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

Out of me bounty he bought me a shawl,
And the first day I wore it I tattered it all.
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

I went into the Bedford, he bought me a stout.
Before I could drink it, he ordered me out!
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.

I come to the end now, my verses are out.
If you want any more, I'll have Guinness's Stout.
Still, I love him, I'll forgive him.
I'll go with him wherever he goes.