The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #50807   Message #771631
Posted By: masato sakurai
26-Aug-02 - 05:15 AM
Thread Name: Help: Age of East Virginia TWO
Subject: Lyr Add: GO FROM MY WINDOW
A song titled "Go from My Window" is in Maud Karpeles, Folk Songs from Newfoundland (Faber, 1971, pp. 239-240; with music).
"There are many 'Go from My Window' songs, usually bearing the title 'Awake, Awake, [or Arise, Arise] you Drowsy Sleeper'. An extensive list is given BELDEN Missouri, p. 118. The present song differs from the better-known type. J.F.S.S. gives two texts with tunes noted in Dorset. The texts are incomplete, but the stanzas given (two in the first version and five in the second) are practically the same as our text. William Chappell in Popular Music of the Olden Time i, p. 140 refers Beaumont and Fletcher's 'Knight of the Burning Pestle'. The song is given in Johnson's Scots Musical Museum where it is described as 'An ancient ballad with its melody recovered by Burns'." (Karpeles, p. 288)

GO FROM MY WINDOW
(Sung by Mr. Kenneth Monks at King's Cove, Bonavista Bay, 19th September 1929)

One night as I lay on my bed asleep,
I dreamed of a fair pretty maid;
Being so oppressed could take no rest,
Love did torment me so
and 'twas off to my love I did go-o-o-o,
And 'twas off to my love I did go.

I knocked loud and bold at my love's door,
Yes, I knocked loud and bold at the door.
Who is there? she muttered. I heard her voice
And thus I did reply:
It is I, love, and open the door, etc.

My dad and mam they are both awake,
And I'm afraid they will hear you speak,
For if my mam and dad did know
They will undo us both,
And it's go from my window, love, go.

Your dad and mam they are both asleep,
For I was at the window to peep;
They sleep so sure on the bed and snore,
Their voices sound very low,
And it's arise, my love, and open the door.

My love she rose and opened the door
Like an angel as she stood on the floor.
Her eyes shone bright as the stars by night,
No diamonds could shine so,
And 'twas in with my love I did go.

I lay in my love's arms till day,
When she bid me arise and go my way,
For if my dad and mam did know
They will undo us both,
And it's go from my arms, love, go.

And as I was going out of the door
The chairs came rattling down on the floor,
Which woke the old man in surprise
The house did rattle so,
And it's hark, father, how the winds do blow.

It's down in yonder low valley low
Where my love and I oft-times did go,
What we said there we'll never declare,
No mortal man shall know,
For she is my love and her I do adore-ore-ore-ore,
And it's her I adore for evermore.

GO FROM MY WINDOW is in the DT. See also Lyr Add Req 1 wd Go from my window (diff). Steelye Span recorded Go From My Window, and another related song One Night As I Lay On My Bed.

From: The Knight of the Burning Pestle (ACT III):

Msts Merrythought: Why, Charles, do you not know your own natural wife? I say, open the door and turn me out those mangy companions. 'Tis more than time that they were fellow and fellow-like with you. You are a gentleman, Charles, and an old man, and father of two children; and I myself (though I say it) by my mother's side niece to a worshipful gentleman, and a conductor. He has been three times in his majesty's service at Chester, and is now the fourth time, God bless him and his charge, upon his journey.

Old Merrythought: Sings at the window Go from my window, love, go;
Go from my window, my dear.
The wind and the rain
Will drive you back again.
You cannot be lodged here.

Hark you, Mistress Merrythought, you that walk upon adventures and forsake your husband because he sings with never a penny in his purse. What, shall I think myself the worse? Faith, no, I'll be merry. You come not here. Here's none but lads of mettle, lives of a hundred years and upwards. Care never drunk their bloods, nor want made 'em warble, sings

Heigh-ho, my heart is heavy.

Exit from the window.

Msts Merrythought: Why, Master Merrythought, what am I that you should laugh me to scorn thus abruptly? Am I not your fellow-feeler, as we may say, in all our miseries, your comforter in health and sickness? Have I not brought you children? Are they not like you, Charles? Look upon thine own image, hard-hearted man. And yet for all this --

Old Merrythought: Sings within Begone, begone, my juggy, my puggy,
Begone, my love, my dear.
The weather is warm;
'Twill do thee no harm.
Thou canst not be lodged here.
Be merry, boys; some light music and more wine.

Wife: He's not in earnest, I hope, George, is he?

Citizen: What if he be, sweetheart?

Wife: Marry, if he be, George, I'll make bold to tell him he's an ingrant old man to use his bedfellow so scurvily.

For further information, see Claude M. Simpson, The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music (Rutgers UP, 1966, pp. 257-259).

~Masato