Help: Wanton Seed

Subject: Wanton Seed
From: Graham
Date: 31 Aug 99 - 11:42 AM

Can anyone shed any light on the origins of the Wanton Seed

Subject: RE: Help: Wanton Seed
From: Paul Stewart
Date: 31 Aug 99 - 09:03 PM

The following quote may be of use to you:

'Even in the twentieth century, songs have still survived expressing the old idea that all natural phenomenon are interdependent, that there is an intimate sympathy between the germination of seeds of wheat and the amorous encounters of men and women. So more than once our great collectors heard "the wanton seed" or "the chiefest grain" sung in Dorset and West Country" village pubs, but considered it too crude for publication, though nowadays it seems gentle enough'.

From A.L. Lloyd 'Folk Song in England' Paladin edition 1975 pp185-86 Cheers, Paul.

Subject: RE: Help: Wanton Seed
From:
Date: 31 Aug 99 - 09:12 PM

Frank Purslow in 'The Wanton Seed', 1968 give a version, with tune, originally collected in 1906. He said he supplemented the text from a broadside.