THE TRAVELLING CANDYMAN

CHORUS
For I take in old iron
I take in old bones and rags
And all other different kinds of stuff
And I put them in separate bags
For I have travelled this country o'er
And I'm known by everyone
My name is Pat O Flanagan
I'm a travelling candyman

1. For I'm sailed over from Belfast
The work it was very slack
And when I landed in Glasgow
I was wishing that I was back
I searched for work but no work could I find
So I struck on another plan
I came to the conclusion that
I would be a candyman
Chorus

2. A woman came up the other day
And she said she had lost her frock
Said she: My good man, come and tumble it out
For I know it is in your stock
Says I: My good woman, your frock is not here
And no more of your lip I will stand
Bedad, she up with her ug-e-ly fists
And she nailed the candyman
Chorus


#359 in Peter Kennedy's Folksongs of Britain & Ireland (Schirmer Books, 1975)

Notes: Singer - Jennie Davison, Antrim, N. Ireland, rec. S. Ennis, 1954:BBC21839

Pat O Flanagan, the Irish hero of this traveller's composition, came over to Scotland and turned to rags as a last resort. In fact although dealing in rags is often regarded as the last, desperate occupation, some of the wealthiest travellers in Britain have made their money as dealers in rags 'and all other different kinds of stuff.' Within the branches of a tinker family there will be those who specialize in all the different kinds of materials. Many articles of clothing discarded by house-dwellers can, with a bit of touching up, became serviceable; the rest must be sorted into sacks according to the ways they can be used for furnishings or by paper manufacturers and others. A candyman today must know quite a bit about man-made fibres as well as conventional animal wool cloths, and as much of his time will be spent in sorting as in going round the houses collecting the rags.


I'll transcribe the melody upon request joe@mudcat.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPx8Qnw9uVU