The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #19113   Message #4133094
Posted By: Levana Taylor
20-Jan-22 - 06:48 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Brimbledon Fair / Young Ramble-Away
Subject: RE: Origins: Brimbledon Fair / Young Ramble-Away
OK, here's what Baring-Gould wrote down from "J Masters, Bradstone":

1.?As I was agoing to Strawberry Fair,
Ri-tol-Ri-tol, riddle-tol-de-lido.
I saw a fair maid of beauty rare
Tol-de-dee
I saw a fair maid go selling her ware
As she went on to Strawberry Fair
Ri-tol-ri-tol-riddle-tol-di-dee.

2.?O pretty, fair maiden I prithee tell
My pretty fair maid, what do you sell?
O come tell me truly sweet damsel,
As you go on to Strawberry fair.

3.?O I have a lock that doth lack a key
O I have a lock, sir, she did say,
If you have a key, then come this way,
As we go on to Strawberry Fair.

4.?Between us, I reckon, that when we met
The key to the lock it was well set,
The key to the lock it well did fit,
As we went on to Strawberry Fair.

5.?O would that my lock had been a gun
I’d shoot the Blacksmith, for I’m undone.
And wares to carry I need have none
That I should go to Strawberry Fair.

(I dunno why Baring-Gould felt the need to change "Ri-tol-ri-tol, riddle-tol-de-lido" to "Singing, singing, buttercups and daisies." I suppose that what Lloyd not-unfairly called its mawkishness may be deliberate: buttercups and daisies being considered standard stuff of children's play, Baring-Gould threw them in to try to turn listeners' minds to childishness and away from any possible sexual connotations of fruit, even after he had gotten rid of the lock and key.)

PS Proofreading is needed in my Pete Harris transcription above, four measures have superfluous rests.