Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)

Subject: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 07:39 PM

Felipa is wondering about the origins of this song.

ONCE I HAD A SWEETHEART

Once I had sweetheart, and now I have none,
Once I had sweetheart, and now I have none,
She's gone and leave me, she's gone and leave me,
She's gone and leave me to sorrow and moan.

Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see,
Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see,
My own precious jewel sat smiling by me,
My own precious jewel sat smiling by me.

And when I awakened I found it not so,
And when I awakened I found it not so,
My eyes like some fountain with tears overflow,
My eyes like some fountain with tears overflow.

I'll venture through England, through France and through Spain,
I'll venture through England, through France and through Spain,
All my life I will venture the watery main,
All my life I will venture the watery main.

Once I sweetheart, and now I have none,
Once I sweetheart, and now I have none,
She's gone and leave me, she's gone and leave me,
She's gone and leave me to sorrow and moan.


Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Sonya Hunter
Once I Had a Sweetheart lyrics © BMG Rights Management

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g58fxSwIqQ

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: Felipa
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 07:54 PM

wondering because the DT attributes it to D. Adams (Derroll Adams)
Pentangle also recorded this version.
There are other songs also known as Once I Had a Sweetheart, which is why Joe specified Baez. Joan Baez recorded the song in 1963, Joan Baez in Concert 2

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 09:14 PM

Known as "Bunch of Green Ribbons" with earliest reference 1776.
Roud# 170

This one from a Scottish chapbook of 1799.


The Bunch of Green Ribbons

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 09:25 PM

Once I Had a Sweetheart / Once I Had a True Love / I Once Had a True Love / A Maiden Sat A-Weeping / As Sylvie Was Walking

Various versions shown in Mainly Norfolk

Once I Had a Sweetheart / Once I Had a True Love / I Once Had a True Love / A Maiden Sat A-Weeping / As Sylvie Was Walking

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: Felipa
Date: 18 Apr 23 - 07:44 AM

The Bunch of Green Ribbons, is clearly related to the version of Once I Had a Sweetheart we are discussing - and comes from well before Derroll Adams' time (lyrics anyway, maybe not the tune)

Some of the songs discussed in Mainly Norfolk seem to me to be completely different songs. Paddy Tunney's song is similar to Out of the Windows in the Sam Henry Collection and A Maiden Sat A-Weeping as sung by John Kirkpatrick looks to me like another set of lyrics not particularly related. I wonder why these very varied sets of lyrics are collated as one entry (and one Roud number? )

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 18 Apr 23 - 02:25 PM

Without checking my notes the reason for a single Roud Number could well be because those variants you mention are closely related through intermediate texts.

Generally speaking we often group variants together that have more than 50% of text in common but sometimes outliers can have less than that in common if once linked by intermediate versions they are demonstrated to be basically the same song and to have come from a common origin, usually the broadside versions but not in every case.

This becomes more complex often when texts come from America that have been reshaped. If the new shapes contain significant new material we refer to them as ecotypes and in more extreme cases give them a new number. A good example would be Unfortunate Lass/Lad/Sailor cut down being rewritten as Streets of Laredo.

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Apr 23 - 03:03 PM

Joan probably learned the song from the late Cynthia Gooding's Elektra 10" LP, EKL-11.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxraKdkgFY8

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (via Baez)
From: Felipa
Date: 18 Apr 23 - 04:45 PM

Did Derroll Adams have any connection with this song = did he record it, perform it, take inspiration from the tune or structure for his own songwriting, etc? My web searches for Derroll Adams and Once I Had a Sweetheart are only leading me back to Mudcat, where the DT (apparently erroneously) attributes the song to him. The discographies I've looked at don't list the songs on the various albums of Derroll Adams.

BTW, on youtube there is a video of Carolyn Hester singing this same version/setting of Once I Had a True Love in 1963, the year Joan Baez recorded it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsl6Su5eSz8

Cynthia Gooding recording https://archive.org/details/lp_queen-of-hearts-early-english-folksongs_cynthia-gooding/disc1/02.02.+Once+I+Had+A+Sweetheart.mp3   This album was issued in 1953

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jun 23 - 06:34 PM

Any other threads on this song?

Once I Had a Sweetheart / Once I Had a True Love / I Once Had a True Love / A Maiden Sat A-Weeping / As Sylvie Was Walking

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: GerryM
Date: 26 Jun 23 - 11:08 PM

Joe, there's mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=17057

Subject: RE: Origins: Once I Had a Sweetheart (from Baez)
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 27 Jun 23 - 05:46 AM

Jeannie Robertson and other Scottish singers had this song, but called it 'Green Grow the Laurels- in the 70s it became very popular among younger singers (via Joan Baez?) but seems less popular now- Len Graham has it too....