Lyr Req: Queen's Garden - Caribbean Sir Hugh

Subject: Lyr Req: Queen's Garden - Caribbean Sir Hugh
From: GUEST,Lanfranc at the orifice
Date: 28 Jun 05 - 09:07 AM

Reading the thread about Sir Hugh of Lincoln reminded me of a Caribbean version of the song, called, I believe "The Queen's Garden". The lyrics were similar, except that the villain(ess) was a Voodoo Queen rather than a Jew's daughter. It doesn't appear to be in the DT.

I recall that Paul McNeill used to sing it, and I have a vague memory of Martin Carthy singing it many years ago.

Although I know the historical context, I always feel uncomfortable with the anti-Jewish flavour of the original, and the West Indian version could be a way around this.

Does anyone know of this variant?

Alan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queen's Garden - Caribbean Sir Hugh
From: GUEST,skipy
Date: 28 Jun 05 - 04:46 PM

Try a google search,
Just place the title in ""
miss out the ' as google does not like these, close up the gap left by removing '
Good luck.
Skipy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queen's Garden - Caribbean Sir Hugh
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Jun 05 - 04:50 PM

I sing this song but I don't think I sing the right words or all the verses, if nobody comes up with a definitive version I will give you my words. I'm sure we've discussed it on here before but I can't find it.
Giok

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queen's Garden - Caribbean Sir Hugh
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 28 Jun 05 - 06:18 PM

It's come up in passing a couple of times:

Little sir Hugh
Lyr/Chords Req: Queens Garden

Nobody was very clear about the source, though. While it may be genuine, it may also be a modern re-write; on the whole Sir Hugh isn't a song that revivalists feel comfortable singing as it stands (Benjamin Britten substituted "school-wife", I think, in his arrangement), though it's pretty widespread in tradition, having been found in most places where English is spoken (the Lomaxes got two sets in the Bahamas, for example).

There's an American text from Friedman, Penguin Book of Folk Ballads in the DT: the prior source is not given, but other comments made here suggest it was a record made by Nelstone's Hawaiians (Victor 401938 (1930) according to the Roud Index). The villainess is a Gypsy rather than a Jew, but that's quite an unusual detail. It may perhaps have been a deliberate change made for commercial reasons.

Fatal Flower Garden.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queen's Garden - Caribbean Sir Hugh
From: Lanfranc
Date: 29 Jun 05 - 01:55 PM

Skipy, thanks for the hint but "queens garden" in Google is unlikely to evince anything useful.

Thanks for the usual erudite response, MD.

Giok, I'll take you up on your offer, if I may.

Alan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queen's Garden - Caribbean Sir Hugh
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Jun 05 - 02:15 PM

Well this is what I remember so it's what I sing.

One day me bounced me ball so high, it landed in a tree
And bounced into the queen's gardeen, where no one can see it but me

Come in come in my fine young man, come in and find your ball
I can't come in, I won't come in, unless my playmates follow

She's taken him by his lily white hand, and she's lead him through the hall
She's taken him to the queen's gardeen, where no one can hear if he call.

She's taken a bowl of the marble stone, and a knife both long and thin,
She's taken a bowl of marble stone, to catch his life's blood in.

Repeat 1st verse.

Giok

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Queen's Garden - Caribbean Sir Hugh
From: Lanfranc
Date: 29 Jun 05 - 07:18 PM

Thanks, Giok

Alan