Joe

The DT version, apart from a few minor transcription differences, seems to be the same as the the version I have transcribed from the singing of Ray Fisher on The Bonny Birdy LP. Ray's notes say: This 'broken token' ballad has a Scottish location; was taken from the singing of a remarkable Irish lady, Brigid Tunney, and given to me by Englishman extraordinary, Ashley Hutchings. Thanks also are due to Clive Woolf, formerly assistant librarian at Cecil Sharp House, for invaluable help". Certainly Ray was the only person I ever heard singing it in those days (early 70s). The tune in the DT has some slight differences from Ray's version though - a few notes of different lengths and (if my memory serves me correctly - I did used to sing Ray's version - but I haven't played it to check this) Ray's is mixolydian rather than major (G natural rather than the G# of the DT version), but otherwise pretty much the same tune (whether that is a transcription error or a different source, I don't know).

The words in Creighton's Maritime Folk Songs is fairly close to the DT text, as is that in Ord's Bothy Ballads (though there are 2 extra verses there), the text of each verse (excluding the 2 extra in Ord) having exactly the same sense, though with some textual differences. The tunes of these are both different from the DT and from each other.

If you're interested I'll put up the Creighton and Ord versions (and my transcription of Ray Fisher's vesion too, if you like).

Mick