Lyr/Tune/Chords Req: John Barbour

Subject: RE: Songs of the Newfoundland Outports
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 08:22 PM

I am looking for a copy of John Barbour with actual guitar chords or sheet music if possible...anyone know where to look...? [e-mail]

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHNNY BARBOUR (trad. Newfoundland)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 09:00 PM

I moved this request from the Songs of the Newfoundland Outports thread. Here's one version. If somebody can post the version from "Outports," that would be nice.
-Joe Offer-

JOHNNY BARBOUR
(Child 100)

This lady was seated in her father's castle hall,
A-viewing the ships coming in;
"O daughter, dear!" her father said,
"Your cheeks look pale and thin,
Your cheeks look pale and thin.

"Is it any sickness you have got,
Or in love with a young man?"
"It is not sickness I have got,
But in love with a young man,
But in love with a young man."

"Is he a lord or is he a duke,
Or a man of honor and fame?"
"No, he's neither lord nor duke nor a man of honor and fame,
But he is one of your bold sea-boys,
John Barbour is his name."

"Then I'll call together my merry-men all,
By one, by two and by three,
And tomorrow morning at ten o'clock,
High hang-ed he shall be,
High hang-ed he shall be."

"O say not so, dear father," she said,
"O say not so unto me,
For if you hang John Barbour," she said,
"No good you'll get of me,
No good you'll get of me."

Then he calls together his merrymen all,
By one, by two and by three,
John Barbour being the very first man,
O the very last man was he,
O the very last man was he.

And when John Barbour he came out,
His suit was of the green,
With his coal black eyes a-rolling in his head
And his skin as fair as a queen,
And his skin as fair as a queen.

"I blame you not, dear daughter," he said,
"I blame you not," said he,
"For if I were one of the female sex,
His companion I would be,
His companion I would be."

"Will you marry my daughter, John Barbour," he said,
"And take her by the hand,
And walk and talk and sit with her,
Be an heir to my houses and lands,
Be an heir to my houses and lands?"

"Yes, I'll marry your daughter," John Barbour said,
"And take her by the hand,
I will walk and talk and sit with her,
But a fig for your houses and lands,
But a fig for your houses and lands.

"Although I'm called John Barbour here,
I'm the Duke of New Cumberland;
And before you can give her one guinea,
I can give her five hundred pounds,
I can give her five hundred pounds."


As sung by Mrs. Lily M. Delorme of Cadyville, New York.
M. Obey, Marjorie Porter, Collectors December 8, 1941


Source: Ballads Migrant in New England, Flanders/Olney, 1953

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr req: John Barbour
From: GEST
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 10:24 AM

Great Big Sea does a snappy arrangement as well. :-)

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHN BARBOUR
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 02:00 AM

Thanks, GEST. Is that the Peacock/Newfoundland Outports version I've been looking for? Hope you don't mind that I posted it here.
-Joe Offer-

---

John Barbour

What ails you, my daughter dear?
Your eyes, they are so dim;
Have you had any sore sickness,
Or yet been sleeping with a man?

I have not had any sore sickness,
But I know what's ailing me;
I'm thinking of my own true love,
Who ploughs the raging sea,
He plows the raging sea.

Is he a lord or a duke or a knight,
Or a man of wealth or fame,
Or is he one of our sailor lads?
Come tell me now his name.

He is no lord nor duke nor knight,
Nor a man of wealth or fame;
He is one of your sailor lads,
And John Barbour is his name.

Now if John Barbour is his name,
A lowly sailor man is he;
Because if John Barbour is his name,
Then hanged he will be,
Then hanged he will be.

The king he called his sailors all,
By one, by two, by three;
John Barbour was the first he called,
But the last came down was he.

When he came a dripped down,
He was clothed all in white;
His cheeks were like the rose is red,
And his teeth were ivory bright.

He paid their wages with a smile,
And to John Barbour he did say:
If I was a woman as I am a man,
My bed fellow you would be.

And will you marry my daughter Jane,
And take her by the hand?
And will you come and dine with me,
And take charge of all my lands?

Yes, I will marry your daughter Jane,
And I'll take her by the hand.
And I will come and dine with you,
But to hell with all your land.

For if you can give her one gold piece,
Then I can give her three;
For I am bold John Barbour,
And I plough the raging sea,
I plough the raging sea,
I plough the raging sea.

####.... English Traditional (Child Ballad #100) arr. by Great Big Sea (Something Beautiful, 2004) ....####

Collected by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 2, by The National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.

source: http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/12/barbour.htm

Be sure to take a look at this site: GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador

Subject: RE: Lyr req: John Barbour
From: GEST
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 11:54 AM

Keep looking, Joe. I only cross-referenced the song to Peacock. I do not have Peacock's actual lyrics. :-(

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: JOHN BARBOUR (trad. Newfoundland)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 01:40 PM

JOHN BARBOUR

(Mrs Charlotte Decker, Parson's Pond, August 1959: Peacock, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, 1965, II, 534-5)

There was a lady in the east northeast,
Her silk it was of green,
And she was a-sitting in her father's hall
Watching the ships sailing,
Watching the ships sailing.

"Oh what is the matter with my daughter?" he said,
"She looks so pale and wan,
I think she has got some sore sickness
Or have laid with some young man,
Or have laid with some young man."

"I have not a-got any sore sickness,
Nor have laid with any young man,
But the only thing that grieves me most,
My love he stays too long,
My love he stays too long."

"Oh is he a lord or a duke," he said,
"Or is he a man of fame,
Or is he one of my seamen
Who plows the raging main?
Come, tell to me his name."

"He is no lord nor no duke," she said,
"Or yet a man of fame,
But he is one of your seamen
Who plows the raging main,
John Barbour is his name."

"Go and bring him down, you silly fool,
Go and bring him unto me,
For tomorrow morning at eight o'clock
Hangèd he shall be,
I will hang him to a tree."

"Oh do not kill John Barbour," she said,
"Nor hang him to a tree,
For if you kill John Barbor-ee
You won't get no good of me,
You won't get no good of me."

'Twas early next morning John Barbour he came down
Dressed in his suit of green,
With his two rolling eyes like diamonds bright,
And he was neat and clean,
And he was neat and clean.

"No wonder that my daughter, John Barbour," he said
"That she might fall in love with you,
For if I was a woman instead of a man
I would surely fall in love with you,
I would surely fall in love with you.

"Will you marrty my daughter, John Barbour," he said
"Will you wed her by the hand,
And will you dine at my table,
Coming near for all my land,
Coming near for all my land?"

"Yes, I'll marry your daughter," John Barbour he said,
"I'll wed her by the hand,
And I will dine at your table,
And a fig for all your land,
And a fig for all your land."


X:1
T:John Barbour
S:Mrs Charlotte Decker, Parson's Pond, August 1959
B:Peacock, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, 1965, II, 534-5
N:PEA 152 No. 994
N:Child 100
N:Roud 64
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
M:2/2
K:C
G2|c2 E2 F G A G|E2 (3(DED) C2 c2|d2 G2 (EG) G2|
w:There was a la-dy in the east north_*east, Her silk it was_ of
(AG)-G4 (cd)|e2 d B c B A B|c2 (AG) E3 D|
w:green,_* And_ she was a-sit-ting in her fa-ther's_ hall Wat-
C3 C E2 G2|c6 (EF)|G3 E D2 (ED)|C6|]
w:ching the ships sail-ing, Wat_ching the ships sail_ing.


Peacock also prints a tune variant from Everett Bennett, St Paul's, August 1958. He doesn't quote the full text, but remarks "In Mr Bennett's version, John Barbour does not indulge in the luxury of refusing the father's land - he takes daughter, dinner, and all."

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune/Chords Req: John Barbour
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 29 Apr 05 - 07:45 PM

Hello Again,
Malcolm,
Can you tell me...are these chords as related to the lyrics posted in the link above it...? I was unsure...
G2|c2 E2 F G A G|E2 (3(DED) C2 c2|d2 G2 (EG) G2|
w:There was a la-dy in the east north_*east, Her silk it was_ of
(AG)-G4 (cd)|e2 d B c B A B|c2 (AG) E3 D|
w:green,_* And_ she was a-sit-ting in her fa-ther's_ hall Wat-
C3 C E2 G2|c6 (EF)|G3 E D2 (ED)|C6|]
w:ching the ships sail-ing, Wat_ching the ships sail_ing.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune/Chords Req: John Barbour
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 29 Apr 05 - 08:28 PM

No; there are no chord indications. The singer didn't play the guitar. To see the exact meaning of the abc notation, go to http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html and paste it in (taking care to ensure that there are no gaps at the beginnings of any lines).

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune/Chords Req: John Barbour
From: GUEST,jamie snider
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 12:56 AM

Well, Anita Best has a lovely version wherein the speech is a bit less flowery than those posted on this website, which I like to think is a result of "oral editing" to get things down to the "brass tacks'.. A few of the differences from what I've seen posted here....
"There was a lady in the west,she was clothed all in green,and she was sitting by her chamber window when she saw the ships sail in [last line is always repeated, and the first and last time around the first measure has 5 beats rather than 4 ."Saw", for example being articulated over two beats. More differences in the verses...'if John Barbour is his name, it's hanged he'll surely be...if you hangs John Barbour ,father she cried tou will get[get has two beats or foot taps] no good of me....then; "he called down his servants all, by one by two by three, John Barbour was the first he called but the last came down was he [last gets 2 beats]. Then;"He came down, a tripping down, he was clothed all in white"...etc....And the last line,'If you can give her one guinea, to that I can give three, although they calls me the young Barbour that plows[2 beats] the raging sea..Hard to describe...hopefully Anita has recorded it on a C.D.