The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #4062   Message #865744
Posted By: Joe Offer
13-Jan-03 - 04:24 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Fine Sally (Brown Girl???)
Subject: RE: lyr req: Fine Sally
The version in the Digital Tradition is called "Brown Girl (Sally)." It's similar to the one posted above, but not the same. I didn't find any other related songs here, but it sure seems we should have some. It does not seem to be related to the other "Brown Girl" songs we have. Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index, which should give us a start.
-Joe Offer-

Rich Irish Lady, A (The Fair Damsel from London; Sally and Billy; The Sailor from Dover; Pretty Sally; etc.) [Laws P9]

DESCRIPTION: Sally at first scorns a suitor, then changes her mind and calls for him. She admits that she is dying for love of him. He informs her that he intends to dance on her grave. She takes three rings from her fingers for him to wear while dancing, then dies
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1845 (Journal from the Sharon)
KEYWORDS: courting dying funeral revenge sailor
FOUND IN: US(Ap,NE,MW,SE,So) Britain(England(South)) Ireland
REFERENCES (12 citations):
Laws P9, "A Rich Irish Lady (The Fair Damsel from London; Sally and Billy; The Sailor from Dover; Pretty Sally; etc.)"
Randolph 40, "Pretty Sally of London" (6 texts, 3 tunes)
Niles 64, "The Brown Girl" (1 text, 1 tune, listed as Child 295)
Sharp/Karpeles-80E 29, "Fair Sally (The Brown Girl)" (1 text, 1 tune -- a composite version)
JHCox 114, "Pretty Sally" (4 texts plus mention of 2 more; Laws does not list the "B" text as belonging here, but it clearly does.)
Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, p. 92, "The Sailor from Dover" (1 text, 1 tune)
SHenry H72, pp. 374-375, "Am I the Doctor?" (1 text, 1 tune -- a version with the hatred toned down and with verses reminiscent of "Glenlogie")
Huntington-Whalemen, pp. 111-112, "Pretty Sally" (1 text, 1 tune)
Darling-NAS, pp. 135-136, "A Rich Irish Lady" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 146, "A Rich Irish Lady" (1 text)
BBI, ZN2324, "A seaman of Dover, sweet William by name"
DT (295), AMIDOCTR* BRNGIRL*

RECORDINGS:
Cas Wallin, "Fine Sally" (on OldLove)
Loman D. Cansler, "Sally" (on Cansler1)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Brown Girl" [Child 295]
cf. "Glenlogie, or, Jean o Bethelnie" [Child 238] (lyrics in some texts)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The English Lady Gay
Fine Sally
Notes: Considered by some to be a variant of "The Brown Girl." The plot is identical except that the male and female roles are reversed. Laws declares that the two should be considered separate but related ballads. - RBW
I added "sailor" as a keyword because at least some versions have a sailor as a protagonist. -PJS
File: LP09

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