As Nutty says, the Old Grey Goose/Plank Road/Monday Was My Courting Day song group (Roud Index no. 3618) is generally considered as quite separate from this one. They do both have a goose and a gander in them.


Number 1094 in the Roud Folk Song Index. It has been found in tradition from time to time in the North of England. Frank Kidson (Traditional Tunes, 1891) printed a Yorkshire set, with music:

THE GOOSE AND THE GANDER

O, the goose and the gander went over the green,
O, the goose she went barefoot for flay'd o' being seen,
For flay'd o' being seen, boys, for flay'd o' being seen,
And the goose she went barefoot for flay'd o' being seen.

I had a black hen and shoo had a white foit,
And shoo laid an egg in a willow tree roit;
In a willow tree roit, in a willow tree roit,
And shoo laid an egg in a willow tree roit.

Kidson commented:

"Many years ago, this used to be a favourite song round about Leeds, though a very silly one. It must claim the indulgence of the reader more upon the merit of the air than that of the words. Before railways and cheap trips acted like general diffusers of London music hall songs, such like ditties in country districts were common in the kitchens of quiet publichouses, and were in general the exclusive copyright of the old fogies who gathered there. The air is from an old manuscript collection of airs in my possession. It appeared in a series of articles upon old tunes contributed by me to the Leeds Mercury Weekly Supplement; otherwise, it has not been in print so far as I am aware. I need scarcely say that this delightful production would be sung only after a certain degree of conviviality had been reached."


X:1
T:The Goose and the Gander
B:Traditional Tunes, Frank Kidson, 1891.
S:Traditional Yorkshire: Leeds area.
N:Roud 1094
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
M:3/8
K:G
G/ A/|B B B|A A B/A/|G G A|BA G/ A/|
w:O, the goose and the gan-der went_ o-ver the green,_ O, the
B B A/B/|c c e/c/|B3/2 A/ B/c/|G2 d/c/|
w:goose she went_ bare-foot for_ flay'd o' be-ing seen, For_
B B c/B/|A A B/A/|G G G|B3/2A/ G/ A/|
w:flay'd o' be-ing seen, boys, for_ flay'd o' being seen,_ And the
B B A/B/|c c e/c/|B3/2 A/ B/c/|G2|]
w:goose she went_ bare-foot for_ flay'd o' be-ing seen.

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