Lyr Add: Maple Sweet (P B Fisk)

Subject: Lyr Add: MAPLE SWEET
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 10:45 AM

From Folk Songs of Old New England:
^^
MAPLE SWEET

1. When you see the vapor pillar lick the forest and the sky,
You may know the days of sugar making then are drawing nigh;
Frosty night and sunny day make the maple pulses play,
Till congested with its sweetness, it delights to bleed away.

CHORUS: Oh! Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble goes the pan,
Furnish sweeter music for the season if you can,
See the golden billows, watch their ebb and flow.
Sweetest joys indeed, we sugar makers know.

2. When you see the farmer trudging with his dripping buckets home,
You may know the days of sugar making then have fully come.
As the fragrant odors pour through the open kitchen door,
How the eager children rally, ever loudly calling: "More!" CHORUS

3. Do you say you don't believe it? Take a saucer and a spoon,
Though you're sour as a lemon, you'll be sweeter very soon!
Why, the greenest leaves you see, on the spreading maple tree,
Though they sip and sip all summer, will the autumn beauties be.

4. And for home, or love, or any kind of sickness, 'tis the thing.
Take in allopathic doses and repeat it every spring.
Until everyone you meet, if at home or on the street,
Will be half a mind to bite you, for you look so very sweet! CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 10:53 AM

Does anyone know variants of this? I'm about to teach it to the kids at my school, seeing how 'tis the season!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: open mike
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 11:40 AM

It reminds me of the Tommy Thompson song done by Red Clay Ramblers,
Hot Buttered Rum which
although it has Santa Claus in it , is not a kid's song. Some sing
Maple Syrup in the chorus instead of maple sugar.

but there is also this one in the DT--maple syrup

I know nothing of the song you mentioned, is it TRAD?
I have heard that sometimes the boiled down sap is poured
on snow where it congeals and makes a yummy treat to eat.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 12:02 PM

Roses are red
Violets are purple
Sugar is sweet
And so's Maple Syruple

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 12:27 PM

Oh, nice one, Open Mike! Tune?

As for the one I added, yes, I believe it's trad. I don't have my copy of the book I cited here at work but I'll check it when I get home (and when I get it unpacked, since I've moved again!).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 17 Mar 08 - 12:59 PM

According to Dudley Laufman it's by P. B. Fisk.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 18 Mar 08 - 11:24 PM

Several sources say that's Perrin Batchelder Fisk.

Worldcat.org lists only one book by him: "A Yeoman of the Lord: Poems", North Montpelier, Vt.: The Driftwind Press, 1933.

There aren't many copies around.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: open mike
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 01:22 AM

I do not know the Maple Syrup tune form the Digi Trad,
but the Hot Buttered Rum one i know and sing..perhaps I
can add it to my space page? I have a few videos on there,
i haven't figured out how to add audio yet....perhaps
this will be incentive to do so...

i have the container of pancake sweetener
in my fridge labelled ""

i think i got that from a mud cat thread
about french toast, pancakes, grits or
other breakfast food.

I just don't seem to be able to keep on topic.,.,.,.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: GUEST,BB
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 11:38 AM

Maple Sweet is included in the book, Folk Songs of Old New England, collected and edited by Eloise Hubbard Linscott, 1939. The book has two pieces of factual information about the song, but they seem to conflict slightly.

From p. 238:
Maple Sweet
In the Jackson family of Vermont this song of the early nineteenth century has been sung for five generations. It was contributed by Mrs. Addie Jackson Morse of Underhill, Vermont.

From p. 334, the "References" section:
Maple Sweet
Ref. P. B. Fish, The Palm (published in Keene, N. H., by G. U. Tilden Company).
[note: The surname "Fisk" has been misspelled as "Fish"]
[second note: Published in Keene!]

Linscott identifies Maple Sweet as a "song of the early nineteenth century," but Perrin Batchelder Fisk was not born until 1837, and his poems seem to date from the 1860s and later. As I said, a slight conflict.

If you do an Internet search on "pb fisk," you will be able to view some of his poetry at Google Books - the book available is a collection entitled Green Mountain Poets, by Albert J Sanborn, 1872.

This history site has a short biography of Fisk, mentioning his poetry. Note that the source referenced is dated 1894, and P.B. Fisk was still alive.
http://vermontcivilwar.org/museum/people/bio.php?input=39256

Here is the text of that article (in case the link dies some day!):
Source: Jacob G. Ullery, compiler, Men of Vermont: An Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of Vermont, (Transcript Publishing Company, Brattleboro, VT, 1894), Part II, pp. 138.

Fisk, Perrin Batchelder,
of Lyndon, son of Deacon Lyman and Mary (Spofford) Fisk, was born in Waitsfield, July 30, 1837, and from the age of thirteen to twenty-one labored at his father's trade of coopering. Strongly determined to obtain an education, at his majority he entered Barre Academy. Having chosen the ministry as his profession, he took a course in Bangor (Me.) Theological Seminary, where he graduated in the class of 1863. In the early part of the war of the rebellion he served as delegate of the Christian Commission in the Army of the Potomac. The coffee wagon had been sent to the Christian Commission at City Point, Va., and not being appreciated by those in authority, it had been left to rust by the wayside. Mr. Fisk finding it, saw it was a good idea and got permission to try it. It proved a great success and is remembered with gratitude by many a veteran.

Leaving Dracut in 1865, the subsequent pastorates of Mr. Fisk were in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Minnesota, and for two years he acted as the field agent of Carleton College of the last named state. Ill-health in his family demanded removal to a warmer climate, therefore he served in the home missionary field in Illinois and Florida for about five years. Returning to Vermont, he supplied at Morrisville and afterwards removed to Lyndon, where he now resides and has under his charge the parishes of Lyndon and St. Johnsbury Centre.

August 25, 1863, Mr. Fisk was united in marriage to Miss Harriet L., daughter of Charles E. and Luana (Carpenter) Bigelow. They have four children: Flora F. (Mrs. G. L. Zimmerman), George Shephard, Fidelia, and Grace Harriet.

Mr. Fisk was chaplain of the Vermont Senate in 1869 and 1870, and inaugurated the custom of daily legislative prayer meetings. He is a poet of more than local reputation and a few of his compositions have been published in the "Poets and Poetry of Vermont."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 12:24 PM

Cool- thanks, BB! Yes, published in Keene is quite cool- I'll have to stroll down to the Historical Society to see what they know of PB Fisk or Fish. Interesting that Dudley didn't know about the misspelling; there are loads of Fishes around here, some of whom have given us some musical gifts, such as Lena Bourne Fish in the Warner collection...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: GUEST,Desert Dancer
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 02:00 PM

I assume you've heard Pete & Karen Sutherland's version... it is sweet. ;-)

But, it's occurring to me that I haven't heard it in a long time; I guess it was on a cassette, and those aren't getting much play in the house any more. It was an album of Vermont-related material that's not listed on their website now. (And my tapes are in Tucson and I'm not...)

~ Becky (in L.A.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple sweet
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 08:34 AM

No, I haven't heard Pete and Karen Sutherland's version- next time I see Pete I'll ask him about it!

...but when you're next in Tuscon, should you want to dup it for me, I'll gladly barter with you, Becky!

I heard Kim Wallach's version she does with kids, and I like the way she blends 2 verses:

Do you say you don't believe it? Take a saucer and a spoon,
Though you're sour as a lemon, you'll be sweeter very soon!
Until everyone you meet, if at home or on the street,
Will be half a mind to bite you, for you look so very sweet!

That makes more sense to most kids, so I'm going to teach it that way!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple Sweet (P B Fisk)
From: GUEST,Barb
Date: 14 Aug 17 - 12:11 AM

I just found this!! I am Perrin's Great grandaughter and my Dad used to sing this every year in the spring when the sap started to run! I have the old green book that it was published in!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple Sweet (P B Fisk)
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Oct 17 - 08:19 PM

So if P.B Fiske wrote the words... who wrote the tune?

BTW you can hear it sung by Megan and Dan MacArthur at this link:

https://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/fieldnotes/maple-sweet
https://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/fieldnotes/maple-sweet

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple Sweet (P B Fisk)
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 31 Oct 17 - 06:52 PM

Guest, Barb, that is wonderful! I have made this song a staple of my repertoire at schools, libraries, "Elder Hostels" etc. Where do you live now?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Maple Sweet (P B Fisk)
From: GUEST,Carl Richardson
Date: 06 Mar 20 - 02:59 AM

When I was in middle school in the early 70's this was taught to us and sung in the spring. Has always stayed with me all these years.