English version-Farmers Daughter/Next Monday Morn.

Subject: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Judy Cook
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 04:03 PM

What is the title of the English song of which "The Farmer's Daughter" is a variant. The "Farmer's Daughter" I refer to was collected by Max Hunter from William Harrison Burnett in Fayetteville, Arkansas - Lyrics below. I heard someone sing an English version of the song which was very much the same except the young lady was 16 years old and advised to wait 5 years before marrying.


Thanks for your help.
Judy Cook

One morning, one morning, one morning in May
I heard a fair damsel so sweetly did say
Sitting under a cow a-milking,
"Thank God I'll get married a-Sunday

Up stepped an old man and to her did say,
"Where is your wedding, and where might it be?"
"Away down yonder, 'neath a green willow tree.
Fourteen years old, a-Sunday."

"Fourteen years old is too young to get married.
A maid at your age is too apt to get sorry.
Seven long years you still have to tarry.
Put off your wedding a-Sunday."

"Old man, old man, you're talking a skill!
Seven long years to serve against will.
And my mind I intend to fulfill
And I wish tomorrow were Sunday.

Yesterday I walked down in town
With a bunch of blue ribbon and a new sundown
To invite those ladies down in town
Up to my wedding a-Sunday.

My bonnet, my shawl lie there on the shelf
My sweetheart will be here before I get dressed
With a bunch of blue ribbons to tie round my waist
To fix me up neat against Sunday"

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: treewind
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 04:11 PM

Looks like The Sign of the Bonny Blue Bell, which appears in at least one Mudcat discussion thread title.

Anahata

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Tradsinger
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 04:16 PM

Here's how I sing it. I was proud to sing it to my daughter on her wedding day:

One morning, one morning, one morning in Spring
To see the green fields, hear the nightingale sing
I met a fair maiden who to me did sing
I'm going to get married next Monday morning.

Sixteen years old is too young for to marry
Take my advice, for a year or two tarry
At least pretty maiden, wait until the next Spring
And put off your wedding next Monday morning

You talk like a man without sense, without skill
Four years I have tarried against my own will
And now I'm determined to have my own fling
I'm going to get married next Monday morning

Next Monday morning I'll tie back my hair
Put on white stockings and dress me with care
And six pretty maidens like linnets will sing
And dance at my wedding next Monday morning

Next Monday evening when I go to my bed
I'll turn and I'll look at the man I have wed
And all around his middle my two arms I'll fling
Goodbye, pretty maidens til Tuesday morning.

I learnt it from a singer in a folk club about 40 years ago and presumably he learnt it from a record somewhere. Judy Cook of Washington DC knows an American version.

Enjoy

Gwilym

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 04:19 PM

Hmm. An interesting family of songs. Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Next Monday Morning

DESCRIPTION: The singer meets a young girl who says she will be married next Sunday (or other day). He asks her age; she is (12/16/other). He tells her she's too young to marry. She replies that she will be married that day and describes the festivities. End of story.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1850
KEYWORDS: marriage wedding age
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South,Lond),Scotland) Ireland Canada(Mar,Newf) US(Ap,MW,NE,SE)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Sharp-100E 38, "The Sign of the Bonny Blue Bell" (1 text, 1 tune)
Kennedy 137, "Next Monday Morning' (1 text, 1 tune)
BrownII 173, "I'm Going to Get Married Next Sunday" (1 text)
Creighton/Senior, pp. 165-166, "[I'm Going to Be Married on Monday]" (1 text plus 1 fragment, 2 tunes)
DT, NEXTMOND* NEXTMON2*
Roud #579
RECORDINGS:
Harry Cox, "Next Monday Morning" (on HCox01)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
I'm Going to be Married on Sunday
Notes: The Brown text lacks the objection to the girl's youth. Perhaps a deliberate American adaption, where the availability of land meant that teenagers, especially in mountain areas, did marry quite young? - RBW
File: ShH38

---

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Instructions

The Ballad Index Copyright 2004 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.

---

The Digital Tradition has the Kennedy/Harry Cox version, and the one from Sharp. I'll be glad to post the others on request.
Hey, that is "Judy Cook of Washington DC" who started this thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 04:27 PM

The details and some versions are in thread 49210: Chickens
In that thread Malcolm Douglas explains that Bland's song crossed to the UK, probably very soon after its first publication ca. 1878.
The Watersons-Carthy and other English groups sing it.

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 04:36 PM

Hi, Q - I think that's a different "Farmer's Daughter." This one has a farmer, a daughter, and the possibility of marriage - but no damn chickens. The other one is also sung by 'Judy Cook of Washington DC.'
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Judy Cook
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 04:41 PM

Thank you all very much! Treewind pointed me to the "Bonny Blue Bell" thread from several years ago where Malcolm Douglas gave the link to I Shall Be Married On Mondy Morning 1845 from the Bodleian collection. It's very close; though the Ozarks version doesn't give that lovely graphic anticipation of the marriage night.



Judy Cook

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 04:47 PM

My mistake. Should have read further.

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Tradsinger
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 05:34 PM

In my haste to reply I didn't realise that it was Judy who posted the original query! That'll teach me. Judy will recall hearing me sing it last year and she sang me her version.

Gwilym

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 05:38 PM

Somewhat OT, but the thread name raises the question: Do Brits tell ribald jokes involving "the farmer's daughter" and "the traveling salesman" (Anglice "commercial traveller")? They are stock characters in modern American humor.

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Chris Green
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 05:43 PM

A travelling salesman fetches up one dark windy night at a remote farmhouse. He batters on the door, the farmers opens up and the salesman asks if he has a bed for the night. The farmer replies "Yes, but you have to share it with my 18-stone flatulent son?" The salesman says "I'm sorry? Don't you mean your 18-year old voluptuous daughter?" "No." says the farmer. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry," says the salesman, "I must be in the wrong joke!"

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 06:09 PM

Lighter

Well, we have songs about them, but not necessarily both in the same song. And farmers' wives, not just daughters ("The Barley and the Rye")

As regards travelling salesmen, the late Keith Morley (of Artisan) was responsible for the wonderful line (in "then all his other wives came in") "He worked in ladies' tights. We always thought that was his job, not what he did at nights"!

Kitty



Kitty

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Judy Cook
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 07:13 PM

Gwilym,
I do remember - on the occasion of your daughter's wedding party - a fine memory.

and yes indeedy, Joe, I do sing both of them. Thanks for noting that. Hope we get to swap songs again soon...Getaway?

Judy

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Feb 05 - 09:40 PM

Good one, duellingbouzoukis!

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Chris Green
Date: 18 Feb 05 - 12:40 PM

I have a sneaking suspicion that it was actually a Woody Allen joke!

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: shyam
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 05:10 AM

I love this "Next Monday Morning " song. Can somebody tell what are the chords of this song.

Subject: RE: English version of Farmers Daughter
From: Susan of DT
Date: 08 Feb 07 - 09:27 AM

There are 3 versions in the DT. The one not listed above is called Sunday Morning

Subject: RE: Origins: One Morning in May...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 May 10 - 02:46 PM

From another thread:

Thread #3646   Message #2911249
Posted By: GUEST
21-May-10 - 10:07 AM
Thread Name: Origins: One Morning in May...
Subject: RE: Origins: One Morning in May...


I have always wondered something; is this song related to the song 'Monday Morning' sung by Peter, Paul and Mary? (They weren't the original singers, I don't think, but their version is the one I know)

It goes, "Early One morning, one morning in Spring, to hear the birds whistle and nightingales sing...I met a fair maiden who sweetly did sing I'm Going to be Married on Monday Morning"

Please tell me I'd really love to know! :-)

---

MONDAY MORNING
Adapt. & Arranged by Yarrow/Stookey/Travers/Okun-
Pepamar Music Corp. ASCAP

Early one mornin' one mornin' in spring
To hear the birds whistle the nightingales sing
I met a fair maiden who sweetly did sing
I'm going to be married next Monday morning.

How old are you my fair young maid,
Here in this valley this valley so green
How old are you my fair young maid,
I'm goin' to be sixteen next Monday mornin'.

Well sixteen years old, that's too young for to marry
So take my advice, five years longer to tarry
For marriage brings troubles and sorrows begin
So put off your wedding for Monday mornin'.

You talk like a mad man, a man with no skill
Two years I've been waiting against my own will
Now I'm determined to have my own way
And I'm going to be married next Monday mornin'

And next Monday mornin' the bells they will ring
And my true love will buy me a gay gold ring
Also he'll buy me a new pretty gown
To wear at my wedding next Monday mornin'

Next Monday night when I go to my bed
And I turn round to the man that I've wed
Around his middle my two arms I will fling,
And I wish to my soul it was Monday mornin'.

Subject: RE: English version-Farmers Daughter/Next Monday Morn.
From: GUEST,Bruce Beatlefan
Date: 16 Feb 11 - 05:22 PM

I'm only familiar with Peter Paul and Mary's version from their 1965 album "A Song Will Rise". It seems that their arrangement changes the meaning of the song entirely, with the last line "I wish to my soul it was Monday Morning"--which sounds like the young girl in a single day has discovered to her dismay what she has gotten herself into. Do others read this last line this way? Are there other versions of the song in which the girl expresses regret for her rashness?

Subject: RE: English version-Farmers Daughter/Next Monday Morn.
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 17 Feb 11 - 12:47 AM

I agree with you, Bruce, that it makes it seem as if she regrets the marriage. But how could she know ahead of time that she will? The last verse seems poorly-cobbled, if you ask me.

This song puts me in mind of something I read in a history book about Europe in the middle ages. In the medieval period and later, the English upper classes were considered very strange for not having their daughters marry until they were old ladies - as much as 20 years old.

The man in the song, who tells the maiden to wait, seems to be carrying on that tradition.