Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'

Subject: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: rpavarotti
Date: 10 Jan 04 - 06:47 AM

Hi,

I had send a similar message in a previous thread (but was told it was not the appropriate place) and I am going to try to be more precise this time.
Quite new here and a bit confused by the search and posting system. (I do not know for example how to access a thread by its number )

The lyrics I am looking for are the continuation of the following two verses (there are 22 verses I beleive):

Quho is at my windo, quho, quho?
Go from my windo, go, go
Quha callis thair Sa lyke ane stranger
Go from my windo go.

Lord I am heir, ane wratcheit mortall
That for thy mercy dois cry and call
Unto thé my Lord Celestial
Sé quho is at my windo, quho.

This "parody" was recorded in 1567 (and successive editions) of
"a compendium book of Godly & Spiritual songs ..." (I do not have the full title but the edition date is 1567 for sure and I think it was published in Edinburgh or Germany). It is refered to by Chappel in his collection of broadside ballads (page 140-142 Vol I). He called the song a parody but I could not make out with precision a "parody" of what text?. The suggestion is that it was a parody of a version of "Go from my window" (and here the dates of the old versions may matter of course as it would have to have been written before 1567 to account for the "parody" aspect).
Chappel did not know of the existence of a 1567 edition of "a compendium book of Godly & Spiritual songs ..." and was thinking in terms of the following edition (1596????) (I cannot remember exactly the date )therefore for him any text existing before this second edition date could have been the source of this "parody".

I am still trying to figure out if it was a parody (and of what text?) .

Would somebody know more about the following possible original version of the following song (already in Mudcat):

GO FROM MY WINDOW

Go from my window, love, go;
Go from my window my dear.
The wind and rain
Will drive you back again
You cannot be lodged here.

Go from my window, love, go;
Go from my window my dear.
The wind is in the west
And the cuckoo's in the nest
You cannot be lodged here.

Go from my window, love, go;
Go from my window my dear.
The devil's in the man
And he cannot understand
That he cannot be lodged here.
From Songs From Shakespeare's Plays, Kines
Note: Has survived in oral tradition since Shakespeare's time.
@courting
filename[ GOWINDOW
TUNE FILE: GOWINDOW

I have searched through the Shakespearean plays and could not find it or even could not find a reference of it and I do not know if it is in one of his plays or if it was simply a song which would have been known during his life time and in that case what would be the earliest date this song (or a variant) would have been written/identified etc...

BTW I live in Ireland so if somebody knows where to have access to the collection "a compendium book of Godly & Spiritual songs ..." in Ireland (or possibly even UK) I would be interested.


Regards, Rolland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 10 Jan 04 - 07:31 AM

Claude Simpson's The British Broadside Ballad and its Music has a section devoted to Go From My Window, and refers to your parody. The opening and closing sections of the entry are:

""Go From My Window" is named as the tune for singing the fourth section of "Frauncis New Jigge" c 1595 (Pepys... and Baskerville The Elizabethan Jig...; entitled "Mr Attowel's Jigge"...). A ballad called "Goe from the windowe goe" was licenced March 4, 1588, but it is lost unless parts of it are echoed in Merrythought's song in Beaumont's The Knight of the Burning Pestle, III, v: ...
That the original ballad was considerably older than 1588 is suggested but the religious parody in A Compendious Book of Godly and Spiritual Songs, 1567 (ed A.F.Mitchell, 1897, pp132-133)....

Chappell (PMOT I,142) printed a stanza of the old song recovered from oral circulation, with a tune whose opening and closing cadence reminded him of Ophelia's song "How should I your true love know". Within the twentieth century further traditional traces have appeared..."

(If you don't have access to Simpson I could scan the 3 pages and e-mail the entry to you; e-mail me at MCPearce0ATaolDOTcom if you want them).


You might also look at Greg Lindahls Sixteenth Century Ballads - A Work In Progress" to see if there's anything there. Also check out The Traditional Ballad Index and Bruce Olson's site for references.



Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Jan 04 - 08:38 AM

The DT file, because it fails to give the relevant information, is misleading; as you have found. Since no source whatever is indicated apart from an abbreviated book title (it is properly called Songs from Shakespeare's Plays & Popular Songs of Shakespeare's Time, and the latter part of the title is an important qualification), it is hard to say much about that particular text, which is not untypical of examples found in oral tradition during the last 150 years or so.

The song is not in Shakespeare at all. As Mick has mentioned, part of it is quoted in Beaumont and Fletcher's The Knight of the Burning Pestle (1613, 1635); Fletcher also referred to it in two other plays, Monsieur Thomas (1639) and The Woman's Prize (1640). A re-written text appeared in D'Urfey's Pills to Purge Melancholy (IV, 1719-20, 43-44) set to the tune of Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day; of course, Ophelia sings part of Valentine's Day, so there is the Shakespearean connection. It lies in the tune (or, rather, in one of the tunes), not in the song.

The most recent reprinting of A compendious book of godly and spiritual songs was, I think, the Scottish Text Society edition of 1897. I may have time to look at it next week, in which case I'll copy the relevant bit; but I would expect it to be rather dull.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 10 Jan 04 - 12:09 PM

Baskerville's The Elizabethan Jig and Related Song Drama (referred to in Simpson quote above) has a few references to the song. He gives the text for the Frauncis New Iigge in an appendix and has the following (most substantial) reference:

"If the English songs dealing with intrigue, a relatively unobjectionable group consists of folk songs, both in lyric and in ballad form, which seem to be based on a pagan custom of allowing a youth secret access to his mate before marriage. In them the lover pleads for admission and is usually, though not invariably, allowed to enter after the girl has expressed a conventional reluctance. All those mentioned here are dialogues or show a strong influence of dialogue form. Two of them, now lost - "Open the door" and "Go from my window" - were popular in the sixteenth century. A closely related comic dialogue of four stanzas beginning "Arise, arise, my Juggy, my Puggy", in which the girl at last yields to the lover's plea, is one of two songs printed at the end of the 1638 edition of Heywood's Rape of Lucrece with the statement to the Gentlr Reader that they "were added by the stranger that lately acted Valerius his part". This is probably a stage modification and perhaps illustrates the insertion of jigs into plays to which Shirley refers. Two dialogues with the refrain "Go from my window" have comic and mocking material that suggests other adaptations by comedians. One is an early sixteenth century piece found on a mutilated sheet of Selden MS B 24, fol 230, in which the wooer is mocked for lack of courage. The other is a widespread song that tells of a wife's assignation, of her husband's unexpected return home, and of the warning which she gives in the form of a lullaby to her child when the lover comes seeking admittance. Many ballads were modeled on these songs..."

Bert Lloyd devoted several pages to the song in Folk Song In England, referring to the tune variants by Morley and by Munday in the Fiztwilliam Virginal Book and the the Knight of the Burning Pestle text and the other Fletcher references quoted by Malcolm above. He quotes several Spanish texts of a lullaby on the same theme (used in a lecture by Garcia Lorca in Havana, 1930) and finishes with some references to a mid-nineteenth century English version in an industrial setting.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: rpavarotti
Date: 11 Jan 04 - 07:31 PM

Thank You very much, Mick and Malcolm.

I got a copy of the simpson's pages from Mick and it is very useful indeed.
I will also follow the lead from "arise,arise my juggy, my puggy ... "

I am not too sure the text of this parody is dull.

What I have gathered from my research is that:

1, A song of the type "go from my window existed before the parody of "1567".
2. In fact the parody is beleived to have been written before 1567 and the date 1546 (or around it) is mentionned by people who followed the biographies of the authors of "gude godlies" and cross referenced speeches and events of the time ...

so from all that it indicates that at least a version of "go from my window" existed before 1546.

Also the authors of "The Gude and Godlie Ballatis" were Scottish ... and spend some times in Germany ... and there may be some connections with the psalms of Geneva ... and the authors may have had a knowledge of Marot's psalm. Which is also an interesting fact (at least for me :-) ).

The "parody" is not really a parody about the text itself or about the author (I think from what I have seen of the "go from my window" versions)... but the music and the original text were used as a template to rewrite (from what I gathered ... but only the full text would prove that) a ballad attacking the catholic hierarchy (or at least a catholic approach) with possible inuendos and/or risqué language and one enters the area of religious people (one of the 3 authors had been an expelled priest) having a go at each other or at some aspect of the implementation of religion. (at the start of the Reformation era)

There is also a possible link between this text and texts written by the goliards who were in fact at the origin of the Ballads/parody style and were also complaining through parodies and risqué language about certain aspect of the catholic church and the hierarchy in the 11-13th century so I feel this text is important even if as a singing text it may have been of little value.

The format of the verses is also a possible link with the goliards (although they wrote their texts in latin, French, German, Provencal .... and possibly English too although so far I have not found English used by them. Note that Dunbar was sometimes called a "Goliard" too ....)

About the Mictchell edition of 1897 - yes it existed but I have check the local universities here (limerick) and there is no copy ... I have not checked Dublin Univ and Irish National Libraries yet.

Thank you very much for your help
Malcolm If you find a copy sometimes it would help me gratly but there is no rush.

One of my email is [e-mail] if people prefer to communicate through emails.

Slan,
Rolland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Jan 04 - 07:56 PM

"Parody" in this case means no more, I think, than that a secular text was imitated as a basis for a religious one. We tend nowadays to equate "parody" with a mocking imitation or satire (burlesque), but that is a relatively modern understanding. I rather doubt, though, if there is any relation here to the Golliards, who operated a good deal earlier; but one never knows, of course. If you come up with any verifiable connection, do let us know.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Jan 04 - 12:15 AM

I think it might be worthwhile to post the text from the Traditional Ballad Index.
-Joe Offer-

---

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Jan 04 - 12:16 AM

Go From My Window

DESCRIPTION: Characterized by the line "Go (away) from my window, my love, (go/do)." Rain or other difficulties may trouble the swain, but he usually gains admittance in the end: "Come up to my window, love... The wind nor rain shall not trouble thee again...."

AUTHOR: unknown

EARLIEST DATE: 1611 (The Knight of the Burning Pestle)

KEYWORDS: courting rejection nightvisit nightvisit

FOUND IN: Britain(England)

REFERENCES (2 citations):

Chappell/Wooldridge I, pp. 146-147, "Go From My Window" (3 fragments of text, 1 tune)

DT, GOWINDOW*

CROSS-REFERENCES:

cf. "The Drowsy Sleeper" [Laws M4]

cf. "One Night As I Lay on My Bed"

Notes: This piece was obviously very popular in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries (Chappell reports eight sources from that period, though presumably most of these are the tune). The earliest dated text (partial, of course) appears to be that in John Fletcher and Francis Beaumont's 1611 play "The Knight of the Burning Pestle," Act III, scene v:

Go from my window, love, go;

Go from my wimdow, my dear;

The wind and rain

Will drive you back again:

You cannot be lodged here. - RBW

File: ChWI146

---

Go to the Ballad Search form

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions

The Ballad Index Copyright 2003 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: rpavarotti
Date: 12 Jan 04 - 11:42 AM

In reply to Malcom,

Yes, exact for the definition of parody.

Of course there is no direct link with the goliards but I am looking at different forms of verses used by them knowing that they already used parody about religious matter and I am trying to find a common aspects between provencal troubadours, goliards .... and possibly broadsie ballads and of course these religious parody from 1567 (and a bit earlier could show a similar pattern in the form mostly and my only hope is to be able to say:
Verse with format xyz was used by goliards (in text xxx, yyy)
and the same (or similar) format was used in ballad (zzz etc...)

As they were already writing using some the same methods:

- contrafactum (copying texts over same music)
- verse format ???? (here I hope to find this link)
- text written to fit musical tunes
- religious topic with a criticism of Church hierarchy

It shows a certain common ground and I would expect educated religious people to have been aware of some of the writings dating back from the goliards time (but this is maybe an utopic view as manuscripts were not flying through emails :-) ) and the usage of similar verse format would be another arguement to prove this connection.

Similar links may be established with the provencal troubadours who were very much linked to the "cathares" who were wiped out around 1200's. Eleanor of Aquitaine (who married Henry II), who supported and promoted the troubadours work was also a good link between their work and a possible origin of the British ballads.

Anyway, it's always worth a try ... even if in the end one has to be more realistic and stop dreaming :-) (and the language difference is of course a big difference too)

as an exemple here is part of a troubadour text with a stanza format one finds in broadside ballads:

Macabru ( circa 1150) :

Seigner n'Audric,
Al vostr' afic
Mout etz d'aver secos e plans,
Puois so dizetz
Que no.n avetz,
Qu'en setembre vos faill lo grans.

Lai, ves Nadal
Tot atretal
Vos faill la carns e.l vins e.l pans
Et en Pascor,
Seguon l'auctor,
Crezetz en l'agur dels albans.

... etc ...with the same format of a,a,b,c,c,b and 4,4,8,4,4,8 syllables (it is in langue d'oc) and the prosodic rules were syllabic rather than lead by stresses and accentuated syllables.
Possibly there are older English texts using this format but I do not know them and doubt very much that there are any ... but one always learn. (I am aware that there are probably some latin texts though ... using that format) and possibly some Irish (or Scottish?) gaelic texts could be formatted in a similar fashion (although I do not know of any either).


All these statements are as much questions as affirmation ...

I would welcome in fact any corrections or contradictions about any of these "suppositions".



Slan,
Rolland.

__________

From: Malcolm Douglas - PM
Date: 11 Jan 04 - 07:56 PM

"Parody" in this case means no more, I think, than that a secular text was imitated as a basis for a religious one. We tend nowadays to equate "parody" with a mocking imitation or satire (burlesque), but that is a relatively modern understanding. ...

Subject: Add: Quho is at my windo (1567)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 07:45 AM

Here it is, then. I omit the notes on textual variations in the various editions of the book: the whole thing is already quite long enough and of rather specialised interest. I will probably put a full transcription up at http://www.folk-network.com/miscellany/ at some point.


QUHO IS AT MY WINDO

Quho is at my windo, quho, quho?
Go from my windo, go, go.
Quha callis thair, sa lyke ane stranger,
Go from my windo, go.

Lord I am heir, ane wratcheit mortall,
That for thy mercy dois cry and call,
Unto thé my Lord Celestiall,
Sé quho is at my windo, quho.

How dar thow for mercy cry?
Sa lang in Sin as thow dois ly,
Mercy to haif thow art not worthy,
Go from my windo, go.

My gylt, gude Lord, I will refuse,
And the wickit lyfe that I did vse
Traistand thy mercy sall be myne excuse,
Sé quho is at thy windo, quho.

To be excusit, thow wald rycht faine,
On spending of thy lyfe in vaine,
Hauing my Gospell in greit disdaine,
Go from my windo, go.

O Lord I haif offendit thé,
Excuse thairof thair can nane be,
I haif followit thame that sa teichit me,
Sé quho is at my windo, quho.

Nay, I call the nocht fra my dure, I wis,
Lyke ane stranger that vnknawin is,
Thow art my brother, and my will it is,
In at my dure that thow go.

With rycht humill hart Lord I thé pray,
Thy confort and grace obtene I may,
Schaw me the path and reddy way
In at thy dure for to go.

I am cheif gyde to riche and pure,
Schawand the path way rycht to my dure,
I am their confort in euerie hour,
That in at my dure will go.

Bot thay that walk ane vther way,
As mony did teiche from day to day,
Thay were indurit, my Gospell did say,
And far from mu dure sall go.

O Gracious Lord, confort of all wicht,
For thy greit power and excellent micht,
Sen thou art cheif gyde, and verray licht,
In at thy dure lat me go.

Man I gaif thé nocht fré will,
That thow suld my Gospell spill;
Thow dois na gude bot euer ill,
Thairfoir from my dure that thow go.

That will, allace! hes me begylit,
That will sa sair hes me defylit,
That will thy presence hes me exilit
Zit in at thy dure lat me go.

To blame that will thow dois not rycht,
I gaif thé ressoun, quhairby thow mycht
Haif knawin the day by the dark nycht,
In at my dure for to go.

Lord, I pray thé with all my hart,
Of thy greit mercy remufe my smart,
Lat ane drop of thy Grace be my part,
That in at thy dure I may go.

I haif spokin in my Scripture,
I will the deide of na creature:
Quha will ask mercy, sall be sure
And in at my dure for to go.

O Lord, quhais mercy is but end,
Quhairin ocht to thé I did offend,
Grant me space my lyfe to amend,
That in at thy dure I may go.

Remember thy Sin, and als my smart,
And als for thé quhat was my part,
Remember the speir that thirlit my hart,
And in at my dure thow sall go.

And it war zit, till do againe,
Rather or thow suld ly in paine,
I wald suffer mair in certane,
That in at my dure thow mycht go.

I ask nathing of thé thairfoir,
Bot lufe for lufe to lay in stoir,
Gif me thy hart, I ask no moir,
And in at my dure thow sall go.

O Gracious Lord Celestiall,
As thow art Lord and King Eternall,
Grant vs grace that we may enter all,
And in at thy dure for to go.

Quho is at my windo, quho?
Go from my windo, go;
Cry na mair thair, lyke ane stranger,
Bot in at my dure thow go.


A F Mitchell (ed) A Compendious Book of Godly and Spiritual Songs, commonly known as 'The Gude and Godlie Ballatis', reprinted from the edition of 1567: Scottish Text Society, Edinburgh, 1897: 132-136.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: rpavarotti
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 11:15 AM

Thank you very much Malcolm,

I'll visit your site too for further updates.
Very interesting.

Slan,
Rolland.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 12:32 PM

Roy Harris (Burl on Mudcat) used to sing a great version of this - perhaps I'll PM him for his words. I'm sure there was a verse along the lines of:

Fine is the sight of a full-rigged ship as she sails apon the sea

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: Purple Foxx
Date: 26 Feb 06 - 06:54 AM

For an intriguing reference to this song chck out the article "Baroque & Folk & ...John Lennon" published at Soundscapes.Info.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A parody of 'go from my window'
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 05:31 AM

Earliest dated verse extracts for "Go from my Window" were printed in the play "The Knight of the Burning Pestle" in 1613, by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, near the end of Act 3:

Knight of the Burning Pestle 1613

Go from my window, love, goe;
Go from my window my deere,
The winde and the raine will drive you backe againe,
You cannot be lodged heere.