Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: BUFFALO BOY^^ From: Joe Offer Date: 29 Jun 99 - 03:25 PM The conversation songs thread made me think of this one. It doesn't seem to be in the database, although I suppose somebody will point it out to me as soon as I post it. Can anybody furnish more versions, or tell us the story behind the song? It works great as a campfire song, and it's almost as obnoxious as "There's a Hole in the Bucket, Dear Liza," which my kid sister used to sing incessantly to annoy me. Wish I had known this one back then, so I could get back at her. -Joe Offer-
BUFFALO BOY
MIDI file: BUFFAL~1.MID Timebase: 192 Name: Buffalo Boy 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 ^^ |
Subject: RE: Buffalo Boy From: Date: 29 Jun 99 - 05:29 PM A ballad of the 1620's. See "Nicol o Cod" in the Scarce Songs 1 file at www.erols.com/olsonw for earliest texts and some bibliography of the song. |
Subject: Lyr Add: NICOL O'COD^^ and NICHOLAS WOOD From: Joe Offer Date: 29 Jun 99 - 06:26 PM I've taken the liberty of copying some information from Bruce Olson's Web site. Hope you dn't mind, Bruce, because I think it's fascinating. -Joe Offer- After a few years lapse, the printers company of J. Wright, J. Grismond, C. Wright, E. Wright, J. Gosson and F. Coles caught up a bit by entering 23 ballads in the Stationers' Register on June 1, 1629. Six are lost; "Sir Andrew Barton" is a Child ballad; three others (all traditional) follow below; and "Greensickness Grief" and "The distressed Virgin" have verses that appear later in traditional songs. Below is one that survived only as a traditional song
NICOL O'COD
"Whan'll we be marry'd,
"Whae'll we hae at the wadding,
"What'll we hae to the wadding, "Wad ye hae nae sack and canary?
"Whan'll we gang to our bed,
"What will we do i' our bed,
The text above is from Hans Hecht's Songs from David Herd's Manuscripts, 1904. The actual manuscripts date about 1776. This version of the song appears to be the earliest extant text of a ballad entered in the Stationers' Register as "Nicoll a Cod" on June 1, 1629. The burden line, "My own sweet Nicol a Cod" was quoted a few times in the 17th century. Martin Parker in The Legend of Leonard Lackwit, 1633, listed "Nichole-a-Cod" among those ballads of which he knew not the author. The tune "Nichol o Cod" was called for an a late 17th century broadside ballad, "Joan's Victory Over Her Fellow Servants".
American versions of this song include "The Mountaineer's Courtship" and "Buffalo Boy". It is said to have been sung by the Hutchinson Family of singers in the 19th century]
J. O. Halliwell-Phillips in The Nursery Rhymes of England, 1846, gives another version, untitled:
When shall we be married,
What shall we have for our dinner,
Who shall we have at our wedding,
Nicol o Cod is here confused with Nicholas Wood, the Great Glutton of Kent. For a ballad on Wood by Richard Climsell, 1630, see The Pepys Ballads, I, p.72, 1987, or with notes, H. E. Rollins' A Pepysian Garland, p. 342, 1922. Additional texts:
Recordings: ^^ |
Subject: Lyr Add: THE COURTIN' SONG (Symington, Douglas)^^ From: Dale Rose Date: 29 Jun 99 - 07:21 PM It was also recorded as THE COURTIN' SONG by Jim Symington and Patti Douglas on An Evening On Buford Mountain, Fontana 27537. (Stereo 67537) Symington was later a US Congressman from Missouri, and is the son of the late Senator Stuart Symington.
THE COURTIN' SONG
When ya gonna court me, court me, court me,
Reckon I'll court ya on Sunday, Sunday, on Sunday,
How long ya gonna court me, court me, court me,
Reckon I'll court ya most the night, most the night, most the night,
When we gonna get married, married, married,
Reckon we'll marry on Tuesday, Tuesday, yes, Tuesday,
How we gonna get to the weddnin, weddnin, the weddnin,
Reckon we'll go in my oxcart, my ox cart, yes, my ox cart,
Well, why don't you bring your buggy, your buggy, your buggy,
Buggy won't fit in my ox cart, my ox cart, (Symington laughs) my ox cart,
Well, now who ya goin to bring to the weddnin, the weddnin, the weddnin,
Reckon I'll bring my children, my children, my children,
Well, I didn't know you had any children, children, children,
Yes, I got five children, children, children, There ain't gonna be no weddnin. No weddnin? Uh, no weddning. Ain't gonna be no weddnin. Even if the weather be good? NO!! ^^ |
Subject: Tune Add: BUFFALO BOY^^ From: Joe Offer Date: 29 Jun 99 - 09:34 PM Here's a version of the tune from The Folk Songs of North America, by Alan Lomax. the lyrics are just about what Dale posted. Lomax didn't give any worthwhile explanatory infomation about the song in this book -Joe Offer- MIDI file: BUFFAL~2.MID Timebase: 192 Name: BUFFALO BOY 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 ^^ |
Subject: RE: Buffalo Boy From: Sandy Paton Date: 30 Jun 99 - 12:24 AM WOW! This community continues to stun me! Great work, guys, and I'm sure glad Bruce still watches over us with his academic benevolence. He's incredible! Sandy |
Subject: Buffalo Boy From: Joe Offer Date: 27 Jul 00 - 04:12 PM Here's the entry from the Traditional Ballad Index Buffalo BoyDESCRIPTION: The girl asks the Buffalo Boy when they will wed. He suggests soon. (Assorted stanzas follow.) She asks who he will bring to the wedding. He suggests his children. She didn't know he had children. When assured he does, she calls off the weddingAUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1927 (recording, Mr. & Mrs. Ernest V. Stoneman) KEYWORDS: courting wedding children rejection humorous FOUND IN: US(MA) REFERENCES (3 citations): Lomax-FSNA 162, "Buffalo Boy" (1 text, 1 tune) Silber-FSWB, p. 345, "Buffalo Boy" (1 text) ADDITIONAL: MacEdward Leach and Henry Glassie, _A Guide for Collectiors of Oral Traditions and Folk Cultural Material in Pennsylvania_, Pennsylvania historical and Museum Commission, 1973, pp. 35-36, "A Mountaineer's Courtship" (1 text, 1 tune) Roud #313 RECORDINGS: Mr. & Mrs. Ernest V. Stoneman, "The Mountaineer's Courtship" (OKeh 45125, 1927; on AAFM3) (Victor 20880, 1927) The Hillbillies, "Mountaineer's Courtship" (Vocalion 5115, c. 1927) CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "The Country Courtship" (theme) NOTES: Kennedy considers this to be a version of "The Country Courtship," and the forms, and even the verses, are similar. Roud lumps them. However, this version has a different punch line. - RBW Last updated in version 3.1 File: LoF162 Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2015 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
Subject: RE: add: Dear Old Mountain Boy From: GUEST,Bruce O. Date: 27 Jul 00 - 05:11 PM I noted in an earlier thread that it derives from "Nicol o Cod", c 1629. It's in Scarce Songs 1 on my website. www.erols.com/olsonw |
Subject: RE: Buffalo Boy From: harpgirl Date: 11 Dec 04 - 01:10 AM Theodore Bikel calls it a variant of the "Soldier, soldier, will you marry me now" theme. Recorded by Theodore Bikel, Elecctra EKL175 |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Buffalo Boy From: GUEST,jeanne gershom Date: 22 Feb 11 - 08:43 PM In both Buffalo Boy and Nicol o the last stanza is sung as a duet. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dear Old Mountain Boy From: GUEST,David Usher Date: 11 Sep 11 - 02:14 AM Here is a film made in 1966 of my parents doing "Dear Old Buffalo Boy", which appears to be a latter-day version of this song. My parents knew Dad Stoneman and used to jam with him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S9yncFFnDk |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune Add: Buffalo Boy From: GUEST Date: 11 Sep 11 - 02:18 AM Here are my parents, who were folksingers back then, in a film shot in 1966 doing Dear Old Buffalo Boy. This song is a scream if acted properly. My parents have this one down pat. The words and tune are right here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S9yncFFnDk |
Subject: RE: Origins: (Dear Old) Buffalo Boy From: Don Firth Date: 11 Sep 11 - 01:37 PM Judy Flenniken and I did a whole series of concerts together at colleges and universities around the Pacific Northwest in 1963, winding up the tour in the Seattle Center Playhouse. "Buffalo Boy," which I'd picked up from Theodore Bikel's record "Bravo Bikel!" was one of the songs we did. A natural. When I did the verse about "I guess I'll bring my children," Judy would just give me a long, cold stare. Still vamping on our guitars, she'd hold it while I sort of gazed around nonchalantly, all innocence, carefully examining the ceiling. After many long seconds, the audience would start to laugh. Then she'd come in with "I didn't know you had no children….." Timing is everything. Don Firth |
Subject: RE: Origins: (Dear Old) Buffalo Boy From: OlgaJ Date: 11 Sep 11 - 01:50 PM A couple of our friends, Bob McLean & Derrick Harris, from Northamptonshire (UK) do this song absolutely brilliantly. Don't know where they picked it up but they have been doing it for years. Two men doing the man's part and the woman's part really works well if you want a good laugh. They also do a brillian version of Allouette. |
Subject: RE: Origins: (Dear Old) Buffalo Boy From: Mrrzy Date: 11 Sep 11 - 03:39 PM Wow. I wouldn't have thought this song HAD an origin... amazing place here. |
Subject: RE: Origins: (Dear Old) Buffalo Boy From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Sep 15 - 02:34 PM Despite their annoying characteristics, sometimes spammers revive gems of threads. This is one of those - it's poignant to read through today and come across Don Firth's remarks. As I started reading Joe's opening posts I heard Bikel's version of the song in my head - my father owned the album and taped it for me years ago. I was thinking I would share information about the "Bravo, Bikel" album, but when I reached Don's remarks I knew he'd have all of that information, and of course he did. Along with a charming story of its performance. |
Subject: RE: Origins: (Dear Old) Buffalo Boy From: GUEST,Arkie Date: 07 Sep 15 - 08:07 PM This song was once frequently sung in living rooms and on porches and all sorts of music gatherings in Stone County Arkansas. It is still sung from time to time at the Ozark Folk Center. And as I may have mentioned in some other thread, this song was presented to me on a list by some visitors to the Folk Center who thought it offensive and that it should be banned from our stage. I was a little shocked and took no further action. |
Subject: RE: Origins: (Dear Old) Buffalo Boy From: BrooklynJay Date: 07 Sep 15 - 09:13 PM I remember Jean Ritchie used to sing this as a duet with Oscar Brand. Their version, however, was "reckless boy." Don't know offhand when she first learned it. I always thought it was a charming, funny song and not in the least ways offensive. But, that's just me. Jay |
Subject: RE: Origins: (Dear Old) Buffalo Boy From: GUEST,Lighter Date: 08 Sep 15 - 07:52 AM Everything is offensive to somebody. (Wouldn't like to be them, though.) |
Subject: RE: Origins: (Dear Old) Buffalo Boy From: Mrrzy Date: 08 Sep 15 - 11:15 AM OK, maybe I'm an idiot, but what is offensive about this song? |
Share Thread: |
Subject: | Help |
From: | |
Preview Automatic Linebreaks Make a link ("blue clicky") |