The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #55749   Message #868308
Posted By: masato sakurai
16-Jan-03 - 10:37 AM
Thread Name: There's a Herrin' in the pan
Subject: RE: There's a Herrin' in the pan
It's traditional, and a version of I WISH THAT YOU WERE DEAD, GOODMAN in the DT. See also The Traditional Ballad Index: I Wish That You Were Dead, Goodman.

~Masato
Here's the Ballad Index entry.
-Joe Offer-


I Wish That You Were Dead, Goodman

DESCRIPTION: "There's six eggs in the pan, goodman (x2), there's one for you and twa for me, And three for (our John Hielandman)." The woman complains, and concludes, "I wish ye were dead, wi' a stone at your head, and I'd run awa wi' John Hielandman"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1823 (Sharpe)
KEYWORDS: food love curse death
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland) Ireland
REFERENCES (2 citations):
SHenry H531, p. 506-507, "I Wish That You Were Dead, Goodman" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, EGGSMAN WISHDEAD

ALTERNATE TITLES:
There's a Herrin' in the Pan
Notes: Marge Steiner's notes in the Digital Tradition discuss possible bawdy connections of this song. Interestingly, though they are all extremely subtle, Gordeanna McCulloch has a text which seems to have cleaned them all up and converted them into a complaint against landlords. - RBW
File: HHH531

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The Ballad Index Copyright 2002 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.