ballads/tunes about ladies of the night

Subject: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: AnneMC
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 06:19 AM

I have a small repertoire of folk songs about 'ladies of the night'
eg Kitty Kane, Mary Danced with Soldiers, Maggie Maggie May.
Does anyone know of any more ballads about the lives/fates of such women - not necessarily bawdy songs.
Thanks,
Anne

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Allan C.
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 06:31 AM

"Louise" comes to mind. Or did you only want traditional songs?

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 06:38 AM

Les Sullivan - Ex Navy UK singer songwriter has a nice one about a sailor who gets framed by a lady of the night and kills her in revenge- Good song but not sure where you could get hold of it.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 07:19 AM

Dicey Riley.
eric

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: cetmst
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 07:39 AM

Just off the top of my head on a Sunday morning:
House if the Rising Sun
Ship of the Evening (My Home on the Green Mountain Side)
The Fire Ship
Rolling Down the Mountain
It's the Same the Whole World Over
Winnipeg Whore
Redlight Saloon
Careless Love
Let Her Sleep Under the Bar
She's More To Be Pitied Than Censured
Epitaph on Sally Salisbury (Catch, John S. Smith)
More later as I come across them - Charles

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 07:43 AM

Charles: I'm not familiar with "More later as I come across them". Could we have the lyrics, please?

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: cetmst
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 09:33 AM

Greg, keep your eye on this thread:
Cocaine Bill and Morphine Sue - she sells her stuff for a fatal dose
Mademoiselle From Armentieres - some of many verses
Girl With the Blue Velvet Band
Old Old Story
Magdalene Laundry
Sisters of the Cross of Shame
The Whore on the Snowy Crust
Why Are You Weeping Sister
Ballad of Cactus Nell
The Ruined Maid - Thomas Hardy

Query - Is Lily of Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts of the profession ? How about Frenchie in "Destry Rides Again" singing "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have" ?

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Flash Company
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 10:16 AM

Aggie Bell, She does it well!, Vera Aspey has recorded it somewhere.

FC

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Gareth
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 10:43 AM

The Ballad of Cactus Nell ?? Is this the Texan version of Esquimo Nell ?

And what Rugby player could forget "The Harlot of Jerusalem"

Gareth

Subject: Lyr Add: Poor Lil
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 10:58 AM

Poor Lil

There was a little girl
She was a beauty!
She lived in a house
Of ill-reputee
The men would come
From miles away
Just to see Poor Lil
In her negligee!
Cho:
Poor Lil, boomp de-ahda
De-ahda dahdah
Poor Lil, boomp de-ahda
De-ahda dahdah

Now, deep in the depths
Of her dishonor
Lil felt the hand
Of the Lord upon 'er
She said, "Dear Lord
"I do repent
"But that's still gonna cost ya
"Just seventy-five cent!
Cho:
Poor Lil, boomp de-ahda
De-ahda dahdah
Poor Lil, boomp de-ahda
De-ahda dahdah
So ends the story of..
Poor Lil!

DRO
Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 11:01 AM

My apologies. The DT has a superior version of this. If I had looked, as I should have, I wouldn't have put this in.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 11:10 AM

"Pleasures of the Harbour" by Phil Ochs.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: JennyO
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 11:17 AM

AnneMC, I am lucky enough to live with John Warner, the writer of Kitty Kane. It is on an album called Pithead in the Fern, and is sung by Margaret Walters. Here is Margaret Walters' web site
It's an excellent song. I can't find an MP3 of it, but here are the words:

12. KITTY KANE
© John Warner 8/11/93

I came up the Thomson with thousands of others,
When Walhalla's gold worked its wild, shining spell.
I was young, I was pretty, I called myself Kitty,
I offered the best jewels a woman could sell.
A length of fine velvet in well fitting burgundy,
Tight round the curves where a man's eyes would fall,
Lace at the edges and eyes full of laughter,
Oh young Kitty Kane was the pride of them all.

Chorus

I might take a walk by the wild Thomson River
Where the Mountain Ash rise in the soft, misty rain,
There's gold in the range and there's gold in the memories
Of the lady of pleasure they call Kitty Kane.

* As the wealth from the mining flowed into the valley,
I moved from a shanty up to a hotel.
I'd seen enough squalor, I saved enough silver
To make me a place where I'd play the game well.
Pregnancy, injury, theft and brutality
Threatened and scarred me, again and again,
But in black lace and silver, I waltzed with the miners,
And shone in their vision, for I'm Kitty Kane.

The publican brought a piano from Melbourne,
I could tell you right now, it was never in tune,
But the work-weary diggers came crowding to hear it
When Samson would play in the late afternoon.
On nights when Walhalla lit up like a fire,
And the miners were roaring some boozy refrain,
There would always be eyes lit with lust and desire,
And bright gold for evenings with young Kitty Kane.

There were schemers and sailors and bearded old diggers,
Whose tough, hairy hides had the gravel ground in,
Young men far from home who still needed a mother,
And sad, furtive parsons who needed to sin.
Rough, drunken brutes with the manners of cattle,
Who let me lie bleeding and shaking in pain,
I've served them their drinks while my bruises were healing,
And I laughed and I shone, I was still Kitty Kane.

I've heard the men singing down at the piano,
That youth, it soon passes, and beauty will fade,
But I gave them their pleasure when I was past forty,
It's the light in the eyes made me queen of my trade.
Though Walhalla now is all merchants and farmers,
Whose wives see in me what they think of as shame,
I'll die in this valley with fine, singing memories,
My name's Kitty Kane, I was best in the game.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,Lindswidder
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 11:47 AM

There's a lovely song I learned when living on a narrowboat on the Oxford Canal, the chorus of the cleaned-up version was:

Boaty boaty *spit in the Cut
And wipe your *nose on a mopstick

(in reality was *shit and *arse)

the verses concerned ladies that the boatman would encounter as he travelled the canals (the Cut) in the couse of his working life, such as:

I knew a girl in Linslade town
Wipe yer nose on a mopstick
Who drops 'er kecks for half-a-crown
Wipe yer nose on a mopstick

Boaty, boaty spit in the cut
Spit in the cut, spit in the cut
Boaty, boaty spit in the cut
And wipe yer nose on a mopstick

the further he travels, the more expensive it seems to be, and the last verse ends with the moral of the story

"the moral of my story's plain
'tis quicker and cheaper to stay on the train.."

I have this song, and others, on an old LP of canal songs called "Straight From The Tunnel's Mouth"

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 12:00 PM

Leadfingers

The good news is that Les has recorded his song for his forthcoming CD - I was round at El Greko's yesterday adding harmonies.

Kitty

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 01:24 PM

Not trad or folk, but well known

Ruby; Don't take your love to town - Kenny Rogers
Roxanne - Police
Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves - Cher

Nigel

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: SINSULL
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 01:29 PM

Who's Gonna Hold Her Hand (She Walks The Streets In A Yellow Gown)

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: open mike
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 01:32 PM

there was a thread on songs about "fallen women" last year...
you might check for it..

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Francy
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 01:34 PM

The Ferench Prostitute by David Olney

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Singing Referee
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 01:38 PM

"Hello and goodbye" by George Papavgeris on his album "Silent majority" A day in the life of a Lady of the Night; about the dreams that haunt us long after they have become impractical and unattainable.

You'll find the lyrics on his website http://www.folk4all.net

You'll have to catch a gig or buy the album for the tune though.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,Henryp
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 01:53 PM

I can add "The Sisters of Mercy" by Leonard Cohen, commonly referred to as Laughing Len. If you listen to his words, he does in fact show a great sense of humour!

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Backstage Manager(inactive)
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 01:59 PM

"Tecumseh Valley" by Townes Van Zandt, "Streets of Calgary" by David Francey, "Let Him Roll" by Guy Clark and "Sammy's Song" by David Bromberg all spring to mind.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Backstage Manager(inactive)
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 02:02 PM

As does "Whore's Lament," performed by Hedy West, and "Bad Girl's Lament," performed by Rosalie Sorrels, both variants of "St. James Hospital."

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,Kenny B Sans Kookie
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 03:40 PM

Aunt Clara,
Way Down in Lamorna,
La Fiacre

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,M'Grath of Altcar
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 04:53 PM

Next (Au suivant) By Jacques Brel, concerns a mobile Army brothel in an unspecified conflict. "Next" is the call of the lady within the truck!!!


I sing the song from time to time but one has to weigh up the audience very carefully before singing it. It can offend even the most broad minded listener. I was at a session just a couple of weeks ago and considered doing it but it was a lunchtime session and well..... it just did not seem right. So it went unsung that day.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 06:36 PM

And there's Allan Taylor's 'the ladies are the loving kind' from his wonderful 'the traveller' album which, according to Allan in the 'Morning Lies Heavy' thread currently on foot, the dreaded Bulmer has actually reissued on CD, but without paying any royalties!

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 06:41 PM

Another good'un that just came to mind is Billy Joe Shaver's 'Street Walking Woman' from his bluesy 'Salt of the Earth' album.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: cetmst
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 07:16 PM

Cactus Nell is not Eskimo Nell transplanted to Texas nor is she the unfortunate of "The Lonesome Death of Cactus Nell". She comes to a better end than either. From "Bawdy Ballads and Lusty Lyrics", 1950, ed. John Henry Johnson, author not given:

THE BALLAD OF CACTUS NELL

Cactus Nell, in the gaudy gown
Of a dance hall jade in a border town,
Had tried her wiles on a man who seemed
To read her smiles as he stood and dreamed;
He paid no heed to the tell-tale leer
Of the dance hall queen as she lingered near,
But turned and walked to another place
Removed from the taunt of her painted face.

The she-thing paled with a tang of hate
At the slight implied by his measured gait;
Each step seemed telling as words might say
He despised her breed and the tinseled way;
And she raged within as the dance hall clan
Observed the move of the silent man,
And she made a vow that the man would pay
For the public slight in the dannce hall way.

A whispered word, and a hurried plan
Was told in the ears of Diamond Dan,
Who hitched the guns in the belt he wore,
As he wandered out on the dance hall floor;
He stopped a bit as an idler would,
Quite close to the place where the stranger stood,
And Nell with the hate of her creed and race,
Stepped close and spat in the tall man's face.

Then silence fell and the place was still -
Like the stage scene set for a sudden kill -
As the stranger stood and calmly viewed
The leering face of the woman lewd;
Then his eyes were turned till they rested on
Her consort near with his six-guns drawn;
And a grin crept up on his thin cold lips
And his hands rested calm on his holstered hips.

"I reckon," he said, "there has been a day
When a mother loved you in a mother's way,
An' I reckon she prayed as her baby grew
That she'd never be a thing like you;
An' so for her, an' the child she bore,
I have only pity and nothing more,
But as for you" - turning to Diamond Dan -
"I'm callin' you, hombre, man to man."

The call was quick as a lightning flash,
And the shots rang out in a single crash,
And Diamond Dan slumped down to the floor
As the stranger walked toward the open door;
And Cactus Nell stared into empty space,
The blood all gone from her throat and face,
And deep in her heart a something stirred,
And her pale lips moved, but no one heard.

Well, the fiddles still squeal in the border town,
And the faro wheels spin as the chips flop down,
And the old-timers look in vain for Nell,
One-time queen of the road house hell;
But stories are afloat, and the card sharps say
She's living in Butte in a humble way;
Married ? Sure, and they say her man
Is the man who called the play on Diamond Dan!

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Joybell
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 07:17 PM

"Young Sailor Cut Down in his Prime"
is quite specific about the ladies of the night who cause his downfall. The other songs in this group eg "Young Girl Cut Down in her Prime", and others of "The Unfortunate Rake" type are not.

"The Black Velvet Band" suggests she is a pick-pocket but she may well have been a lady of the night.
                                       Joy

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,Lindswidder
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 07:22 PM

Now down in sweet Texas where the bullshit lies thick
One hand on my saddle, one hand on my dick
'twas there I met Charlotte, the girl I adore
Charlotte the Harlot, the cow-punchers' whore

(there are many verses, and the last one tells us that her funeral procession was 40 miles long! I have the song on a very old tape of "Bawdy Western Ballads" by Oscar Brand

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Joe_F
Date: 18 Apr 04 - 09:46 PM

"I once was a maid, tho' I cannot tell when" -- Part of "Love and Liberty" by Robert Burns

"Ring Dang Doo"

(From memory -- title unknown; TTTO "Wabash Cannonball":)
Way up in Pennsylvania
On a dark and stormy night,
I went down to the whorehouse,
Where the lights were shining bright.
I walked on up the steps
And knocked upon the door.
My knock was quickly answered
By a neatly half-dressed whore.
She wore a red kimono
That opened down the front,
So I could see the golden hairs
That hid her dirty cunt.
She took me by the hand
And led me up the stairs.
I took old Pete right in my hand
And rammed it thru those hairs.
The stuff it was a-coming,
The feeling it was grand,
When I woke up on an army cot
With a discharge in my hand.

"Bang Away, Lulu"

"The Finest Fucking Family in the Land"

"La Pierreuse"

"Tricks Ain't Walking"

Unfortunately, I forgot to check the DigiTrad *before* writing all this, and I'll lose it if I check now. (Why?)

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: HuwG
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 04:05 AM

Not strictly a member of this profession but:

Lili Marlene.

Neither the original German nor translated English lyrics suggest that Lili was engaged in any sort of cash transaction, but the German version does suggest that the soldier singing it knew that Lili would transfer her affections as soon as he was posted to some distant and dangerous front.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 05:09 AM

Son Of Hickory Hollers Tramp (Merle Haggard)
This Bed Of Roses (Stattler Bros)

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 05:49 AM

The various versions of Dublin City/Spanish Lady?

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Gurney
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 06:19 AM

Once a blues, now more familiar to trad jazzers.

'Flatfoot floozy with the floy-floy.' Can't remember the official title.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Hrothgar
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 06:19 AM

Sailor Town

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 06:24 AM

The Holy Ground (the Holy Ground is or was a prostitution area in Cork, I think).

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,Lanfranc at the orifice
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 06:53 AM

I've always rather liked this one. Harry Chapin doesn't get much of a mention hereabouts, but I rate him as a songwriter.

Mercenaries
by Harry Chapin
Originally found on album Dance Band on the Titanic, 1977 and the Bottom Line Encore Series, 1998.


It's a slow motion night
In the hot city lights
Past time when the good folks
Are snoring in bed
On a loose-jointed cruise
To recolor your blues
With illegal notions alive,
Alive in your head

You are back from some war
That you've been fighting for
Some old blue blood bastard
In a dark pinstripe suit
and the word from your loins
Has your mind in your groin
And your back pocket burning with blood
Blood money loot

So, you walk past the glow
Of the flicker-picture shows
Where the raincoat men wait
For a child to come by
And the women in doorways
Who have nothing to say
'Cause your money is talking
To the ones that you would try

She owns the block
With the dead pawnshop clock
She's the answer to dreams
That you pay to come true
She's got no heart of gold
But that's not what she's sold
She just sees herself doing what she
What she has to do

And she's all that you're hoping
As her coat falls open
Give her bread and she leads you
To a bed on the floor
Where for ten million years
And through ten billion tears
The armies of bootmen have marched
Back from their wars

She's in that state of grace
Before time finds her face
With a mind of old wisdoms
And a body still young
And she tastes as sweet
As a child's chocolate treat
Before the butts and the whiskey
Had wasted the taste of your tongue

Play the music again
Of the grey-stubble men
That groaning blue symphony
Moans evermore
And you watch as she fakes it
And of course you just take it
She's better than others
You never paid money for

You've used up your booty
The girl's done her duty
The turnstile has turned
And you learn you are done
You're back on the street
Joining fresh marching feet
You see more soldiers coming
And your girl chooses one

And the medic has brought
Shots for what you have caught
Your leave is all over
You're back on the line
And the joke in the trenches
Of the hot blooded wenches
And the next thing that you'll do
When they next give you the time.

And you're back in your army
Back shedding red blood
And you dream of the girl
As you sleep in the mud
And you know you'd swap with her
If the deal could be made
'Cause you'd rather be working at love
Love as your trade

Alan

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 06:57 AM

The woman in Kipling's "The Liner she's a Lady" sounds as though she wouldn't be too worried about what the time of day was, as long there was "trade" around - "They've got to do their business first, and make the most they can!".

You can find the words and my tune for it here.   The late Peter bellamy also set the words to music.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 07:56 AM

Hrothgar - which "Sailortown" are you referring to - is it the one one that John Conolly sings ?

Personally, I like Lester Simpson's "Polly on the Shore" - could that be what you're referring to ?

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Snuffy
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 08:58 AM

Serafina

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 02:10 PM

I object to the inclusion of "Aunt Clara" above, I like to think she was just lucky in love.

(No poetry intented, but it's kind of cute, ain't it?)

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Snuffy
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 03:07 PM

Mother didn't share your opinion, Becky!

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Jen M
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 03:44 PM

My Mother's favorite, we learned it at Girl Scout Camp--was Fascinating Witch-I have no idea where the song originated.
I wish I was a fascinating witch,
I'd never be poor, I'd always be rich
I'd live in a house with a little red light,
I'd sleep all day and I'd work all night,
Once a year I'd take a vacation,
Leave my customers to their frustration,
Once in a while, I'd go hog wild,
And have myself an illegitemat child,
I wish I was a fascinating witch,
Instead of a gosh darn virgin.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 03:57 PM

The old song that starts

"Casey Jones was a son of a bitch
Parked his engine in a whorehouse ditch...."

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 05:05 PM

orrrrrrrr...................
Casey Jones was a son of a whore
Drove his locomotive through the whorehouse door
    Etc., etc.

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: akenaton
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 05:25 PM

June Tabors version of "She moves among men", about the life and loves of a barmaid,says it all about the emotional differences between men and women.One of the saddest of songs.....

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: rich-joy
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 10:03 PM

The Ladies Are The Loving Kind (Allan Taylor)

Daisy Hill (Dick Feller)

Cheers!

R-J

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Macha
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 07:09 PM

Would My Lagan Love fall under this catagory?

Subject: RE: ballads/tunes about ladies of the night
From: Snuffy
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 08:12 PM

DID SHE FALL OR WAS SHE PUSHED??