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22 Mar 97 - 02:27 AM (#3364) Subject: Looking for "Barley Bridge" words and music From: ekaufman@cisco.com Hello, Does anyone know where I can find "Barley Bridge?" I have this much of it: Shift your feet in nimble flight, You'll be home by candlelight. Open the gates as wide as the sky, And let the king come riding by. - Elizabeth |
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24 Mar 97 - 03:45 AM (#3430) Subject: RE: Looking for "Barley Bridge" words & music From: Murray This sounds like a version of the children's game "Barley Breaks", which is described rather vaguely in the books by Lady Gomme (Trad. Games of England, Scotland, & Ireland), and Newell (Games & Songs of American Children).You may get more in the book by the Peter & Iona Opie, "Children's Games" [or some such], which I can't look up just now. |
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05 Nov 99 - 10:07 AM (#132143) Subject: RE: From: MMario refresh |
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27 Mar 05 - 08:48 PM (#1445220) Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Barley Bridge From: Jim Dixon The song is quoted in "Precious Bane," a 1924 novel by Mary Webb (1881-1927):
Shift your feet in nimble flight, You'll be home by candlelight. Open the gates as wide as the sky, And let the king come riding by. |
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29 Mar 05 - 10:13 PM (#1446515) Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Barley Bridge From: Jim Dixon I don't know if this is related to "Barley Bridge" but by searching for "barley breaks" (as Murray suggested) I found some interesting stuff: From Domestic Annals of Scotland: In August 1628, the minister of Carstairs regretted to the presbytery of Lanark the breach of the Sabbath 'by the insolent behaviour of men and women in foot-balling, dancing, and barley-breaks.' From Fun and games in the seventeenth century: Other games like "Barley Breaks", and the self-explanatory "Bum to Busse", were undisguised incitements to sexual congress. |
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30 Mar 05 - 07:28 AM (#1446769) Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Barley Bridge From: A Wandering Minstrel 'How many miles to Barley Bridge? Three score and ten. Can I get there by candle-light? Yes, and back again If your feet be nimble and light you may be there by candle-light A curtsey to you, and a curtsey to you, If you please, will you let the King's horses through? Through and through shall they go for the King's sake, But the one that is hindmost shall meet a mistake. Then open the gates as wide as the sky, And let the king come riding by. I think it's Hugh Walpole, but I wouldn't swear to it and he may be quoting something older. |
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30 Mar 05 - 08:52 AM (#1446828) Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Barley Bridge From: IanC Jim Barley Break wasn't sexual in nature, it's basically a childhood capture game. In fact, it's still played by children in my village (though they don't call it that). :-) |
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30 Mar 05 - 09:03 AM (#1446844) Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Barley Bridge From: Jim Dixon Right you are, Wandering Minstrel. Here's a quote from the novel, copied from Project Gutenberg of Australia: Title: Katherine Christian (1944) Author: Hugh Walpole These two faced one another and arched hands; then the children one by one came up and chose on which side they would be. They whispered either to the girl or to John and then took their place beside the one or the other. When the two strings of boys and girls were complete, they proceeded, first the one line and then the other, under the arched hands, and all sang together: 'How many miles to Barley Bridge? Three score and ten. Can I get there by candle-light? Yes, if your legs be long. A curtsey to you, and a curtsey to you, If you please, will you let the King's horses through? Through and through shall they go for the King's sake, But the one that is hindmost shall meet with a great mistake.' As they ran through, the girl and John had to catch the last one by lowering their arms. |
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30 Mar 05 - 09:19 AM (#1446856) Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Req: Barley Bridge From: GUEST see also "How many miles to Babylon" and "How many miles to Avalon" |