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Subject: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: Amos Date: 11 Dec 99 - 12:47 AM I am seeking lyrics beyond the first verse for a song which begins: In Tarrytown, there did dwell, a butcher boy, I knew him well He courted me my life away, and now at home he will no longer stay. Cho: Wide and deep, my grave shall be, with the wild goose grasses growing over me...(2x) Anyone know the rest of this sad (and typical) tale? History ? (I assume it is a colonial Hudson Valley variant of an age old theme). Thanks, Amos |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 11 Dec 99 - 07:13 AM Amos, in the Forum there are some versions of a "Butcher Boy" song which if you change the first list MIGHT be what you're looking for. Here are links to the lyrics contained in several different threads. You might get some more details about the song by checking out the threads associated with those. One of the threads also mentions another thread about Women and a Body or something like that. To check out previous threads, go to the top, and click on the Quick Links, and select the option to Search the Forum |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 11 Dec 99 - 07:27 AM Here's another place with the song but gives a detail not given in the previous entries |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 11 Dec 99 - 07:37 AM When looking up that Gosport Tragedy, you find more mention in the Folk Music Index Volume Bum-Bz about other related songs. Have a look at |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 11 Dec 99 - 07:50 AM Hmmmm. While the DT Database doesn't have Butcher Boy, it does have several of the Gosport Tragedy Variants, including Hope these help in your search. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: Joe Offer Date: 11 Dec 99 - 07:25 PM Well, there are many versions of this song, so the Digital Tradition has given it a number, #320 to link the various versions. A search for #320 (click) brings up "Butcher's Boy," and another song that you may find surprising. A search for [wide and deep my grave shall be] brings up an interesting parody that Dick Greenhaus had a hand in writing, which means there's a good chance that Greenhaus might remember the original. I'll send him a personal message and see what he can come up with. The man has more songs in his head than he has in the database. The square brackets in the search above limit the search to a specific phrase. If you skip the brackets and just put grave wide deep (click) in any order in the search box, you'll get all the songs that have all three words, and you will see that deep, wide graves are a recurrent theme in folk songs, and this could lead to a discussion of morbid attitudes among folk singers.... It will also lead you to a number of songs that are related to the one you are seeking. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: Lyr Add: TARRYTOWN / WILD GOOSE GRASSES From: Lin in Kansas Date: 11 Dec 99 - 10:00 PM Amos-- Barley Bree did a version of it on their cassette (sorry, no CD) "Speak Up for Old Ireland". The song is called "Wild Goose Grasses on that tape. There's also a version with melody and 3 verses on page 61 in "Collected Reprints from Sing Out! The Folk Song Magazine, Vols. 1-6 1959-1964"ISBN 0-9626704-0-5, publisher: Sing OutCorporation, P.O. Box 5253, Bethlehem, PA 18015-5253; (215) 865-5368. A note says the book can be ordered direct from the publisher. TARRYTOWN (WILD GOOSE GRASSES) (words & music by John Allison © 1959, Hollis Music, Inc.) In Tarrytown there did dwell, A lovely youth, I knew him well. He courted me my life away, And now with me he will no longer stay. CHORUS: Wide and deep my grave will be, With the wild goose grasses growing over me. Oh, when I wore my apron low, He'd follow me, through ice and snow, Now that I wear my apron high, He goes right down my street and passes by. CHORUS There is an inn in Tarrytown, Where my love goes, and he sits him down, He takes another on his knee, For she has gold and riches more than me. CHORUS (The Barley Bree version changes the last line to "And don't you know how much that vexes me.") Hope this helps. Line Breaks |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: Lin in Kansas Date: 11 Dec 99 - 10:09 PM Oops--meant to add the blurb at the top of the page from Sing Out!: "Pete Seeger's version of this traditional Hudson Valley ballad was learned from John Allison [Allison wrote it]. It is, quite apparently, a New York variant of "The Butcher Boy," one of the best-known of our traditional folk songs. "The Butcher Boy" in turn has its roots in a variety of British broadside ballads, including "The Squire's Daughter," "A Brisk Young Sailor," and "There Is An Alehouse in Yonder Town" which later developed into "There Is A Tavern in the Town." Pete Seeger's rendition of "Tarrytown" may be heard on his recent Folkways recording, Pete Seeger and Sonny Terry at Carnegie Hall (FA2412)." Not sure just how recent that recording really is; songs in the book are from 1950 to 1963--
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: dick greenhaus Date: 12 Dec 99 - 01:02 PM Hi- John Allison was (is?) a collector of broadside ballads who then wrote his own tunes, coming up with some very nice stuff. His best-known songs are Tarrytown (Wild Goose Grasses), Bowery Grenadiers and Rifleman's Song at Bennington. While he claimed words and music for Tarrytown, I believe that the words were trad and that Allison wrote the tune. In addition to the other variants noted, don't forget Tavern In the Town (which Rudy Vallee holds [held] a copyright for.) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: Amos Date: 12 Dec 99 - 01:41 PM Obviously a blend between two versions of Tavern In the Town (and don't you know, that vexes me), and the traditional Butcher Boy from London. Joan Baez did a version as well. But the one I wanted is indeed Wild Goose Grasses. Many thanks to all who helped. You guys awe dee gradest!! Amos |
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Subject: Tune Add: TARRYTOWN / WILD GOOSE GRASSES (Allison) From: Joe Offer Date: 13 Dec 99 - 02:20 AM Here's the tune for "Tarrytown" (Wild Goose Grasses). When the Weavers recorded it, they called it "Wild Goose Grasses." For the lazy ones among you who haven't mastered MIDITXT or ABC, I'll have the tune at Mudcat MIDIs as soon as I can get it uploaded. -Joe Offer- MIDI file: TARRYT~1.MID Timebase: 192 Name: Tarrytown (Wild Goose Grasses) This program is worth the effort of learning it. To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here ABC format: X:1
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: Lin in Kansas Date: 13 Dec 99 - 03:03 AM Joe, thank you for cleaning up my earlier post--I apologize for not at least noting title and songwriter on the first one (and thanks too, for giving me the HTML for line breaks, one of the many things I hadn't figured out yet!) |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: GUEST,andrea Date: 21 May 07 - 12:00 AM try this site http://www.ibiblio.org/jimmy/folkden-wp/?p=6998 |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy/Searching From: Susan of DT Date: 21 May 07 - 07:10 AM A belated note on searching for numbered songs. We carefully reserved the # sign to be used only in song numbers, so #320 would only get you those songs. However, the online search, which lacks several features of the more complete searches in the DOS and Windows versions, does not distinguish between 320 and #320, which is why it is picking up several Burns 320 songs. Solution: search for DT #320, rather than #320 or 320. Numbers 305 and lower would be Child #xxx rather than DT #xxx. The other major problem with the online search is that you cannot successfully search for phrases that include "small words" like the, a, and, etc. since the particular online search does not track such small words. |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown/Butcher Boy From: GUEST,Graham Wadeson Date: 09 Apr 10 - 01:27 PM Hi Amos, I doubt whether you expected a reply after more than 10 years to your request for the words for Tarrytown! Did you ever get them? If so, perhaps you would pass then on to me. I have some words, which are set out below. They differ from the ones I have, which are off a very old Brothers Four LP. Regards, Graham (UK) graham@penpal.me.uk In Tarrytown, there did dwell A lovely girl I knew her well I courted her on bended knee Until she said that she would marry me. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growing over me. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growing over me. We were young and love was grand I gave her kisses on her hand We walked along the little way And talked of when would be our wedding day. Wide and deep my grave will be With the wild goose grasses growing over me. And her house stands in Tarrytown And now my love she dances 'round She sits upon another's knee For he has gold and silver more then me... |
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Tarrytown / Wild Goose Grasses (Allison) From: GUEST Date: 25 May 12 - 09:35 PM My father sang this song to me but what I remember it as is: In Tarrytown there did dwell, a lovely girl, I knew her well. I courted her on bended knee, until she said that she would marrry me, wide and deep, my grave will be, with the wild goose grasses growing over me. then there was a verse about her marrying someone else and he dies of a broken heart and no one visits his grave and his grave is covered with wild goose grasses growing over him. This has been an obsession of mine because I am missing my father so much and I need to find the words to this song! |
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