The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #57507   Message #908058
Posted By: GUEST,kimbirley@hotmail.com
12-Mar-03 - 06:29 AM
Thread Name: Origins: The Grey Goose and the Gander
Subject: RE: Origins: Grey Goose and the Gander
I heard and sang 'The Grey Goose and the Gander' in the Sun Inn at Lientwardine, Shropshire, near Ludlow,in 1995. It was sung wonderfully by Peter Faulkner, a coracle maker with a superb baritone voice. As far as I can remember it it went:

         THE GREY GOOSE AND THE GANDER

         The grey goose and the gander went over the green
         The grey goose went barefoot for fear of being seen
         For fear of being seen my boys
         By the night of the moon
         Rise early tomorrow morning all in the same tune.

         The blacksmith is black but his money is white
         He sits in the alehouse from morning till night
         From morning till night my boys, etc.

         The shepherd is happy abroad on his down
         He would not change his life for a sceptre and crown
         For a sceptre and crown my boys, etc.

         The landlord got drunk and his reckoning forgot
         So we smashed all his (???) and broke all his pots
         We broke all his pots my boys, etc.

There was at least one more verse (something with a wagon?) but I've forgotten it. The first two lines were sung solo, with the repeat and 'light of the moon' bit sung with great enjoyment by everyone else in the room. As the landlady (Floss!) was a woman, 'landlord' was changed to 'landlady'! Hope this helps, Kim.