Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife

Subject: Chandelier shop
From: kim
Date: 09 Oct 98 - 02:48 AM

I was after the words to this rather humorous song. It is basically about a lad who goes into a chandelier's shop and finds the owners cheese upstairs with someone other than her husband. She tells him that if he keeps mum he can can up and enjoy her services anytime. cheerio kim

Subject: RE: Chandelier shop
From: Bert
Date: 09 Oct 98 - 01:07 PM

There's two versions in DT. Search for chandler.

Great song, I've got some vinyl somewhere with Oscar Brand singing it.

Bert. (I'm gonna have to learn it myself some day)

Subject: RE: Chandelier shop
From: kim
Date: 12 Oct 98 - 02:29 AM

thanks for the tip.

Subject: RE: Chandelier shop
From: Susan of DT
Date: 12 Oct 98 - 02:49 PM

That's Chandler's shop, not chandelier and we have two versions of the Chandler's Wife. I searched for chandler*

Subject: RE: Chandelier shop
From: Stevo
Date: 19 Oct 98 - 03:45 AM

This is too the same tune as "The bird in the morning"

Subject: RE: Chandelier shop
From: MMario
Date: 23 Oct 98 - 01:02 PM

Molly & The Tinker (Dianne and Brian Leo) do a version of this from a girls point of view - with the chandler rather then the chandler's wife. Best version I have ever heard of it!

Subject: Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife
From: GUEST,That New Guitar Guy
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 12:52 PM

Chandler's wife is an easy song to learn on Acoustic Guitar.
It only took me 1 week and it was the first song I ever learned.

It only has 3 chords:
C
F
G
(and X means knock on guitar with knuckle.)

It is a 4 count song with 5 frames.
But, it is super easy because all of the frames are the same.

1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-    }I walked into the Chandler's shop,
C-------F---C---    }Some candles for to buy.
1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-    }I looked around the Chandler's shop,
C-------G-------    }Yet none did I spy.
1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-    }I was disappointed,
C-------F---C---    }And some angry words I said.
1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-    }When I heard the sound of a XXX,
C---xxx-G---C---    }Right above my head.

That's it, the only thing that changes is the words.
Now of course you could play each note for each beat or even a couple up strokes.
But for me, a beginner, I chose to play it this way nice and slow.

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife
From: RunrigFan
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 06:36 PM

http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/chandlerswife.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife
From: Bernard
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 06:51 PM

The tune is 'The Lincolnshire Poacher' (amongst others). It works well on the Anglo concertina, too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife
From: Don Firth
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 07:16 PM

The first time I heard the tune was sometime in the 1950s. Phil Harris (bandleader and comic on The Jack Benny Show for years, and later, one-half of The Phil Harris – Alice Faye Show) came out with the novelty song, "The Thing." Got a lot of play on radio and on juke boxes.

Next time I heard it, shortly thereafter was Richard Dyer-Bennet singing "The Lincolnshire Poacher." Then, a friend of mine, Ken Manus, singing "The Chandler's Wife."

Here's Phil Harris with "The Thing."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Feb 11 - 07:53 PM

Here's the entry on this song from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Chandler's Wife, The

DESCRIPTION: (The tailor's boy) goes to the chandler's shop; he hears a "knock, knock, knock" overhead. He surprises the chandler's wife with the apprentice boy. Men should either watch their wives or give them so much (knock, knock, knock) that they want no more
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1939 (recording, Warde Ford)
LONG DESCRIPTION: (The tailor's boy) goes to the chandler's shop; finding no one there, he hears the sounds of sex (a "knock, knock, knock") overhead. Running upstairs, he surprises the chandler's wife with the apprentice boy. She offers the interloper sex whenever he's so inclined. The moral is drawn that men should either lock their wives up, tie them down, or give them so much (knock, knock, knock) that they want no more
KEYWORDS: sex adultery infidelity promise bawdy humorous apprentice
FOUND IN: US(MW)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Silber-FSWB, p. 157, "The Chandler's Wife" (1 text)
DT, CHNDWIFE* CHNDWIF2
RECORDINGS:
Warde Ford, "The Tailor Boy" (AFS 4204 A1, 1939; in AMMEM/Cowell)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Farm Servant (Rap-Tap-Tap)" (plot)
cf. "The Jolly Barber Lad" (theme)
cf. "The Coachman's Whip" (theme)
cf. "The Lincolnshire Poacher" (tune)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Tailor's Boy
NOTES: I'm astonished to not find this in the Index -- I could have sworn it was there. - PJS
Yes, but aren't you glad that *you* got to write the description? :-)
I am surprised that it's not in Cray. There are similar plots, of course, but nothing I recognize as the same song. - RBW
File: FSWB1567A

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Subject: Lyr Add: THE CHANDLER'S WIFE (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Mar 13 - 06:34 PM

From the Bodleian broadside collection, Harding B 25(356):


THE CHANDLER'S WIFE

A tailor-boy went out one day some candles for to buy.
He came into a chandler's shop, but devil a-one was nigh.
He rapped, he called, and loudly bawled; no answer there was made,
But likewise he heard the rap, tap, tap, right over his very head.

The tailor-boy being cunning and sly, he nimbly tripped upstairs.
There he would not speak one word for spoiling of the affair.
For there he spied the sparkling Will, down by his mistress's side.
Likewise he heard the rap, tap, tap; he beheld it with his eyes.

Their game it being all over, then they began to rise.
When that she saw the tailor-boy; it put her in a great surprise.
But she said, "If you my secrets keep, to you I will prove kind,
And you shall have at my rap, tap, tap, whenever you have a mind."

The tailor-boy being cunning and sly, he nimbly answered, "No,
For I'll go call my comrade Jack; he's used to serve maids so.
It's I'll go call my comrade Jack; I'll go call him out of hand,
And he shall have at the rap, tap, tap, for he does it well understand."

Come all you young men who have handsome wives; it's when you go from home,
Be you sure to take care of them and lock them into a room,
Or they'll kiss and toy with the pretty boys; the chandler's wife done so,
And they will have at the rap, tap, tap, before you a mile would go.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife
From: Lighter
Date: 18 Mar 13 - 07:05 PM

Jim, B 27(52), "The Tailor's Boy," seems to date from 1832.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE TAILOR'S BOY (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Mar 13 - 10:09 PM

From the Bodleian broadside collection, Harding B 27(52):


THE TAILOR'S BOY

A tailor's boy went out one night some candles for to bring,
And going into the chandler's shop, no one could find the twig.
He rapped; he bawled; he whistled; he called; no answer there was made.
He thought he heard a rap-tap-tap right above his head.

The tailor's boy being crafty, he slyly slipped upstairs.
Not one word of noise he made for fear of spoiling their affairs.
It's there he spied the shopman, John, just betwixt this mistress's thighs,
And they carried on with their rap-tap-tap; he beheld it with his eyes.

The job it being finished, and they began to rise,
To see the tailor's boy stand there it put them in surprise.
She says, "Young man, my counsel keep, and I will [repay] in kind,
And you may play on my rap-tap-tap whenever you have a mind."

She clapped her hand into her pocket and gave him eighteen pence,
Thinking that would stop his mouth for six or eight months hence.
She give to him a cucumber to stop his hungry maw,
And he's never to speak of the rap-tap-tap for such past time he saw.

All you young men has wanting wives and means for to leave home,
I pray you do take care of them and lock them up in a room.
They would kiss and toy with a sporting boy; I say they would not stop,
And before you go an English mile, they'd play on the rap-tap-tap.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife
From: Bert
Date: 19 Mar 13 - 12:52 PM

I eventually learned it, Here's the way that I sing it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Chandler's Wife
From: GUEST,Chuck Hoskins
Date: 13 Oct 20 - 04:45 AM

We used to bandy this song about when I was in the Navy. It is very close to the Oscar Brand version.

As I went down to the Chandler's shop some candles for to buy,
Twas not a sign of the Chandler or his wife did I espy.
Well I was disappointed and some angry words I said,
Then I heard the sound of a (rap-tap-tap) right above my head.
I heard the sound of a (rap-tap-tap right) above my head.

Now I was slick and I was quick so up the stairs I sped,
And very surprised was I to find the Chandler's wife in bed.
There with her was a fine young man of quite considerable size,
And they were having a (rap-tap-tap) right before my eyes.
Yes, they were having a (rap-tap-tap) right before my eyes.

Aah, when the fun was over and done she lifted up her head,
And very surprised was she to find me standing by the bed.
Said she, if you're discrete my boy, if you would be so kind,
You too can come up for some (rap-tap-tap) whenever you feel inclined.
Yes, You can come up for some (rap-tap-tap) whenever you feel inclined.

Now all you married men TAKE HEED! whenever you go to town,
If you must leave your woman alone be sure to tie her down.
But if you would be kind to her just lay her right down on the floor,
And give her so much of that (rap-tap-tap) she doesn't want any more.
Yes, give her so much of that (rap-tap-tap) she doesn't want any more.