Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May

Subject: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,Isueg
Date: 06 Jul 03 - 07:59 AM

I'm looking for the lyrics to a song about visiting Padstow May Day celebrations. It's not the actual May Day song, though. All I can really remember is the chorus:

Put your arms round me, I'll dance you away
For you are my Queen of the May
(rpt)

Anyone know it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Singing Referee
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 05:04 AM

I'm sure Breeezy sings it, but he's off line at the moment. I'll see if I can get the words from him, and post them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,Dave S
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 11:12 AM

I'm sure that this song was written by a singer from Padstow called Larry(sorry don't know his surname)but he appears regularly at the Camping and Caravan club at Trewan Hall in St Colunb Major(www.trewan-hall.co.uk)where I heard him about three years ago. Possibly the staff there can put you on to him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: velvet
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 04:42 PM

Hi
I think you will find that Larry Mc Laughlin now lives in Bodmin, and yes it is his song.

Subject: Lyr Add: PADSTOW MAY SONG
From: GUEST,AR282
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 09:33 PM

The lyrics to the "Padstow May Song" as I have them go as follows:

Unite and unite, now let us unite
For summer is a come in today
And whither we are going, we all will unite
In the merry morning of May.

The young men of Padstow, they might if they would;
For summer is come in today,
They might have built a ship and gilded it with gold
In the merry morning of May.

The young girls of Padstow, they might if they would;
For summer has a come in today,
They might have made a garland of the white rose and the red
In the merry morning of May.

O where is Saint George, O where is he now?
He's out in his long-boat all on the salt sea-o.
Up flies the kite, down falls the lark-o;
Aunt Ursula Birdwood, she had an old yeowe,
And it died in her own park-o.

Where are the young men that now here would dance?
For summer is a come in today,
Some they are in England, and some they are in France
In the merry morning of May.

Where are the young girls that now here would sing?
For summer is a come in today,
They are in the meadows a-flower gathering
In the merry morning of May.

***************

Those lyrics are from the CD "Blow, Ye Winds in the Morning" by the John Langstaff choir put out in '92 on Revels Records.

Subject: Lyr Add: QUEEN OF THE MAY (Larry McLaughlin)
From: Marion in Cornwall
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 02:41 AM

^^
QUEEN OF THE MAY
Larry McLaughlin

Winter is over and summer has come
And the Obby Oss waits in his stable for dawn
Rise up my love early and deck yourself gay
And I'll take you to Padstow today

Ch:         And put your arms round me. I'll dance you away
       For you are my Queen of the May

Skip out o'er the fields and the woods and the dells
Pick primroses, daises, cowslips and bluebells
And from the green woods cut a sycamore spray
And I'll take you to Padstow today

We'll breakfast on ale and an old chorus song
Musicians will come with accordion and drum
We'll meet the old Oss and we'll welcome the May
When I take you to Padstow today

When the years have rolled on love and we are both old
And the stories of May day and Padstow are told
And though I'm old and feeble you'll still hear me say
I'llt take you to Padstow today

This is from Unite, Unite edited by Mike O'connor. The note to the song says it was written by Larry for his wife Maureen on their Silver Wedding Anniversary (1982)

Regards,

Marion

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,Isueg
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 02:59 AM

Thanks guys, that's the one I was after :)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Barbara
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 12:31 AM

Now, can any of you clever chaps come up with a tune for us?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,velvet
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 09:53 AM

I know the tune very well as I know Larry. However, Iam no good with writing music. I could always sing it on a tape!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Barbara
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 01:22 PM

I will settle for a tape if necessary, velvet. My email is [e-mail]
Send me a message and I'll make arrangements with you.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Kernow John
Date: 09 Jul 03 - 05:34 PM

Marion says she has the dots and will do it at the weekend.

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Barbara
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 02:14 AM

I am in your debt again, John. let me know if there's anything this side of the pond that you want.
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: Tune Add: QUEEN OF THE MAY (Larry McLaughlin)
From: Marion in Cornwall
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 04:27 PM

Barbara,
Here's the tune. In the book it's written with an extra note (d – crotchet) at the beginning to allow for the extra word in the other verses but I don't know how to put a bracket round it in ABC. If you would like a midi-file, pm me.

Best wishes
Marion

X:1
T:QUEEN OF THE MAY
C:Larry McLaughlin
I:abc2nwc
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:G
D3E F2|G2A2B2|c3B A2|B4d d|d3B G2|d3B G2|c2B2c2|
A4D2|D3E F2|G2A2B2|c3B A2|B4d d|d2B2G2|c2A2F2|G6-|G4
|:D2|D3E F2|G2A2B2|c2B2A2|B4c2|d2B2G2|D2B3A|G6-|G4z2

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,Ian in Penzance
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 11:32 AM

Can anyone tell me where I can get the music for 'Queen of the May' please.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Little Robyn
Date: 14 Feb 08 - 01:59 PM

Ian, That's it in ABC just above you. Just do the old copy and paste bit.
Go to Concertina dot net

paste it in the box and you can have dots or midi.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,Sean Mc
Date: 07 Nov 08 - 06:12 AM

Funny to find this - Larry is my dad. We played together for 30 years before I had to move from Cornwall through work.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: breezy
Date: 07 Nov 08 - 06:16 PM

and a cracking banjo player you are, hope you are still at it
and hows the old fella, didnt bump into him this summer. lucky me eh!

wish him well

and I didnt hear the 2nd day song either

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Sean Mc
Date: 09 Nov 08 - 09:57 AM

The ould fella is fine - he & Mum came up for a visit a couple of weeks ago. I tried to kill him off at a ceilidh I was playing at but with no success. I guess we'll just have to shoot the old bar steward :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 09 Nov 08 - 10:07 AM

Breezy,
       If you would have been with us in " The London" at about 12.30- ish on Mayday you would have caught us with Larry doing his "Second Day of May". Perhaps 2009 we hope.
                                                    Regards,
                                                    John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: breezy
Date: 10 Nov 08 - 08:33 AM

if its raining and I dont have a better offer !!

dont ask

Will you guys come to the Lib club in orps on 13th March and be the 'support' for the main attraction

Love to all my mentors, oh those days at the Railway Catford

keep on singing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 10 Nov 08 - 08:02 PM

Fantastic song "Queen of the May"
Does anyone have the the words to "Second day of May" ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Sean Mc
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 07:09 AM

I will post them shortly (with Dad's permission of course)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SECOND DAY OF MAY (Larry McLaughlin)
From: Sean Mc
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 08:02 AM

Dad wrote this because, although May Day is a great day, there is little chance to chat & catch up with old friends. The day after, when all is quiet again, is the best time for that.

THE SECOND DAY OF MAY
(words & music by Larry McLaughlin)

When the flowers have all faded,
And the streets are looking bare,
And the 'Osses have been stabled,
And the crowds no longer there,
You can stroll around the harbour,
And watch the small boats in the bay,
You can have a drink with old friends,
On the Second Day of May.

As a youth I came into this town,
There were 'Osses in the square,
There was red and white and blue and white,
And flowers everywhere,
They were singing, they were dancing,
Oh, it turned my mind astray,
For I had come to Padstow
On the First day of May.

But when the flowers have all faded,
And the streets are looking bare,
And the 'Osses have been stabled,
And the crowds no longer there,
You can stroll around the harbour,
And watch the small boats in the bay,
You can have a drink with old friends,
On the Second Day of May.

Now some dancers they are dead and gone,
The rest are getting slow,
But the young ones they will carry on,
Traditions they all know.
Though my dancing days are nearly done,
And the years have slipped away,
I will always remember Padstow,
And my first, First Day of May.

But when the flowers have all faded,
And the streets are looking bare,
And the 'Osses have been stabled,
And the crowds no longer there,
You can stroll around the harbour,
And watch the small boats in the bay,
You can have a drink with old friends,
On the Second Day of May.

Unite, oh unite and let us all unite,
For summer is a-coming today,
You can have a drink with old friends,
On the Second Day of May.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Sean Mc
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 08:59 AM

A funny story about Queen of the May & the way of folk music & tradition.

Dad & I were playing in Padstow one night and, inevitably, we did Queen of the May.

Afterwards, a women of middle years and a rich Cornish accent came up to us & said to Dad,
"'Ere boy, you got the words wrong".
"Oh really" dad replied, "But I wrote it".
"So youm the bugger" she replied. But her husband shouted across,
"'E didn't write that, I remember my father singing it". To which some else joined in with,
"You don't even know who your f..ing father was".
And such was a typical evening in Padstow……..

And in many ways the song has been absorbed into the traditions of Padstow.
But we should never forget that it is Mum's song; its original title is Maureen's Song.
A treasured gift from Dad to celebrate their Silver Wedding Anniversary, as he says……..
...without having to spend any money!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 10:23 AM

Breezy,
       Re Orps., I reckon we would be up for it but could you please
speak with Dave on 01732 762224 in order he can check the date with the others.
                                        Many Thanks,
                                           John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 10:25 AM

Once again . Silly, silly me . Its becoming a habit.
Tel. is 01732 862862

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: breezy
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 11:35 AM

Dear Gust John from the famous Elsie's band

Why are you not speaking to him?

It could be billed as

'Elsie's band versus the TDLs,'

I'll bring a whistle

cheers

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Sean Mc
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 11:57 AM

Hah, sorry guys, but I quite agree. Too many threads get lost that way.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: breezy
Date: 11 Nov 08 - 04:25 PM

its a subtle refresh, no apologies required

and anyway it all links to the 'Queen of the May'

thanks Sean for the stories, I had heard something similar,

so Sean tell me now, is Larry patronising the Bodmin F C at all at all ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Sean Mc
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 07:01 AM

Both songs can now be heard on a hastily set up MySpace site. The page is still sparse but I hope to build it up as time goes on.

www.myspace.com/larryandsean

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 06:27 PM

Excellent songs and excellent singing
I'm sure I've heard these songs in the "Ship Hotel" Padstow. Maybe it was your dad performing them !
I've been down to Padstow for Mayday for many years and had many enjoyable times. The only regret I have is the building of the social club on the top carpark, which took many of the old characters (of which we spent many a happy hour listening to stories and songs mainly in the Harbour Inn, when Jean Luke used to be landlady) out of the local pubs. But then I suppose this is progress.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: Sean Mc
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 06:45 AM

Dad & I played at the Ship every Saturday for years. In fact, if you read the story I posted on 11th Nov, it happened in The Ship.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: breezy
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 03:37 PM

Those were heady days and prior to then the late Nigel Rowe was master in charge on accordian on which he was supreme, having been tutored by Charle Bate, with Charlie P and Tommy M as his main star vocalists and how well I remember Tim singing Ghost riders in the Sky

Its never been the same since those days somehow on a Sat night

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Padstow Queen of the May
From: GUEST,Sheona CelticNomad
Date: 23 Apr 13 - 09:49 AM

How could anyone ever forget Timmy singing! Shudder! It was all Nike's fault, but good fun. The songs and the music go on! http://celticnomad.net/Poems.htm
For Padstow, and Maydays, my poem turned into a song, often sung in Ringers in St Issey on May eve, by me if I'm there, or Rowan if I'm not, and also at times in the 'Lion by Shona...