Origins: One Morning in The Spring

Subject: Origins: One Morning in The Spring
From: RTim
Date: 26 May 10 - 10:27 AM

The song below is from a CD called - Blow The Man Down - a collection of Sea Songs & Shanties (with various performers), where is is sung by the late great Cyril Tawney.
Now it is obviously a version of Roud 152 - Sweet William, but I cannot find "Exactly" which collection it comes from, or is it a version cobbled together by Cyril.

Can anyone help?

Tim Radford

One Morning in The Spring. - via Cyril Tawney.
It was one morning in the spring
I went on board to serve the King
I left my dearest dear behind
Who oft times told me her heart was mine.

When I came back to her fatherÕs hall
Enquiring for my jewel all
Her cruel old father this replied
Her mama says Oh if you deny.

Oh, she has married another man
A richer man for all his life
A richer man for all his life
Oh, and he has made her his lawful wife.

Oh God curse gold and silver too,
And all false women that wonÕt prove true
For some will take and then will break
All for the sake of richery.

Oh stop young man donÕt talk too fast
The fault is great but none of mine
The fault is great but none of mine
DonÕt speak so hard of the female kind.

If I had gold you might have part
As I have none you have gained my heart
YouÕve gained it all with a free good will
So keep my vows and hold them still.

Oh since hard fortune around me frowns
IÕll sail this ocean around and round
IÕll sail this ocean until I die
IÕll quit my ways on a mountain high.

Subject: RE: Origins: One Morning in The Spring
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 26 May 10 - 02:19 PM

The text is almost identical to Sharp's b version given in 'English Folk-songs from the Southern Appalachians'.
I suggest that Cyril took this as a basis and made a few small changes.
Jim Carroll

Early Early In The Spring
Mrs Hester House, Hot Springs, N.C. Sept. 14th 1916

1. So early, early in the Spring;
I went on board to serve the King,
A-leaving of my love behind,
Who always told me her heart was mine

2 When I came back to her father's hall,
Enquiring for my jewel all,
Her cruel old father this replied :
Her mamma says O if you deny.

3 O she has married another man,
A richer man for all his life,
A richer man for all his life,
O he has made her his lawful wife.

4 O God curse gold and silver too
And all false women that won't prove true;
For some will take and then will break
All for the sake of richeree.

5 O stop, young man, don't talk too fast,
The fault is great, but none of mine ;
The fault is great, but none of mine;
Don't speak so hard of the female kind.

6 O if you had gold you might have part,
But as I have none you have gained my heart;
You have gained it all with a free good will,
So keep my vows and hold them still.

7 O since hard fortune around me frowns,
I'll sail the ocean around and around;
I'll sail the ocean till I die,
I'll quit my ways on a mountain high.

Subject: RE: Origins: One Morning in The Spring
From: RTim
Date: 26 May 10 - 03:14 PM

Good job Jim - I think you are probably right!!

Tim R

Subject: RE: Origins: One Morning in The Spring
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 29 May 10 - 04:15 PM

The Cyril Tawney recording was originally cut for the Topic LP Farewell Nancy. 12T 110. According to A.L. Lloyd's sleevenotes, the tune was collected by Vaughan Williams from an unnamed Norfolk singer (James Whitby of Tilney All Saints presumably). As was VW's wont, he neglected to write down all the verses, so Bert goes on to say that his widow (Ursula presumably), completed it with verses collected by Sharp in North Carolina. Again, Bert doesn't say which one, but there's only two "complete" versions in Sharp's Appalachian collection; from Hester House of Hot Springs, NC on 14.09.16; and from Mitchell Wallin of Allanstand 04.08.16. The former is textually closest to the one which Tawney sang.