Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles

Subject: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 09:23 PM

Lyr. Add: THE TWELVE APOSTLES

Come and I will sing!
What will you sing?
I will sing of three.
What of the three?
Three of them were strangers,
Two of the little whiter babes
Dressed in the mournin' green.

Come and I will sing!
What will you sing?
I will sing of four.
What of the four?
Four of the gospel preachers,
Three of them were strangers,
Two of the little white babes
Dressed in the mournin' green.

Come and I will sing!
What will you sing?
I will sing of five.
What of the five?
Five of the ferrymen in the boat,
Four of the gospel preachers,
Three of them were strangers,
Two of the little white babes,
Dressed in the mournin' green.

Come and I will sing!
What will you sing?
I will sing of six.
What of the six?
Six of the cheerful waiters,
Five of the ferrymen in the boat,
Four of the gospel preachers,
Three of them were strangers,
Two of the little white babes
Dressed in the mournin' green.

......
What of the seven?
Seven of the seven stars in the sky,
Six of the cheerful waiters,
..........

............
What of the eight?
Eight of the eight archangels,
Seven of the seven stars in the sky,
..........

.......
What of the nine?
Nine of the sunshines bright an' fair,
Eight of the eight archangels,
..........

.........
What of the ten?
Ten of the ten commandments,
Nine of the sunshines bright an' fair,
..........

..........
I will sing of 'leven,
What of the 'leven?
'Leven of the saints that has gone to Heaven,
Ten of the ten commandments,
...........


............
I will sing of twelve.
What of the twelve?
Twelve of the twelve apostles,
'Leven of the saints that has gone to heaven,
Ten of the ten commandments,
Nine of the sunshines bright an' fair,
Eight of the eight archangels,
Seven of the seven stars in the sky,
Six of the cheerful waiters,
Five of the ferrymen in the boat,
Four of the gospel preachers,
Three of them were strangers,
Two of the little white babes,
Dressed in the mournin' green.

No. 605, Sung by Mrs. Isabel Spradley, Arkansas, 1932. Pp. 34-36, with musical score.
Vance Randolph, 1980, "Ozark Folksongs," vol. IV

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Dec 13 - 09:50 PM

Lyr. Add: THE TWELVE APOSTLES, 2
Newfoundland, 1952, Gordon Willis

1
Come now, I will sing a-you,
What a-will you sing a-me?
Sing a-you the one-o,
What a-may your one be?
God is one and all alone
And evermore shall be so.
2
Come now, I will sing a-you
What a-will you sing a-me?
Sing a-you the two-o,
What a-may your two be?
Two of them were lily-white babes
Dressed a darling green-o,
God is one and all alone
And evermore shall be so.
3
Come now I will sing a-you
What a-will you sing a-me?
Sing a-you the three-o,
What a-may your three be?
Three of them destroyers,
Two of them were lily-white babes,
Dressed a darling green-o.
God is one and all alone
And evermore shall be so

.....
12
Come now, I will sing a-you
What a-will you sing a-me?
Sing a-you the twelve-o,
What a-may your twelve be?
Twelve are the twelve apostles,
Eleven the 'leven went up to heaven,
Ten are the ten commandments,
Nine are the nine bright shiners,
Eight are the eight archangels,
Seven the bright stars in the sky,
Six are the jelly-come (?) waiters,
Five are the plumb-buoys over the boat,
And four the gospel preachers,
Three of them destroyers,
Two of them were lily-white babes
Dressed a darling green-o,
God is one and all alone
And evermore shall be so.

With musical score, pp. 800-801.
Kenneth Peacock, 1965, "Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, National Museum of Canada.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: GUEST,Erich
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 02:22 AM

I know this one as "The Dilly Song". Can anybody tell me what "Dilly" means??

Thanks Erich

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 09:14 AM

Thanks for the versions, Q.

Erich, I looked up 'dilly' in my unabridged dictionary. None of the definitions seem to help.

a call for a duck
a light wagon, truck, water cart, etc
a basket or braided bag (Queensland)
a darling, the youngest child, a weakling (rare)
a daffodil

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: Lighter
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 09:50 AM

This site also calls it "The Dilly Song":

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=541

But why? I don't detect any dillyin' in the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 10:16 AM

Piccadilly was named for the pointed lace ruffs sold there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: Lighter
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 10:52 AM

I don't see any ruffs either.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 01:10 PM

I have no idea of the source of "Dilly," as applied to songs in this group. Brown-Schinhan (North Carolina Folklore vol. 2) used this name in their collections of the song.

I am sticking in this thread to versions, widespread, which incorporate the twelve apostles or "The Ten Commandments," and have not been mixed with "Green Grow the Rushes."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 03:53 PM

Lyr. Add: "SINGING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS"
Version from North Carolina, coll. 1914

(Text lacks first four verses, but runs to number 12)
1
I will sing.
What will you sing?
I will sing the fifth.
What is the fifth?
Five is the firemen in the boat,
And two of them were strangers;
Two of them were little white babes
All dressed in morning granger;
One of them was God alone,
Shout every nation!
2
..........
The six is the gospel preacher;
etc.
3
Seven is the seven stars in the sky,
4
Eight is the eight archangels;
5
Nine is the night that the star shone bright,
6
Ten are the ten commandments;
7
Eleven is the eleven apostles;
8
I will sing.
What will you sing?
I'll sing the twelve.
What is the twelve?
Twelve is the twelve disciples;
Eleven is the eleven apostles;
Ten are the ten commandments;
Nine is the night that the star shone bright,
And eight is the eight archangels;
Seven is the seven stars in the sky,
And six is the gospel preacher;
Five is the firemen in the boat,
And two of them were strangers;
Two of them were little white babes
All dressed in morning granger;
One of them was God alone
Shout every nation!

Pp. 200-202, no musical score. The two versions given are headed, "50, The Dilly Song."
Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore, vol. Two. Folk Ballads from North Carolina, ed. H. M. Belden and A. P. Hudson; 1952, Duke University Press.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 04:07 PM

Lyr. Add: "COME AND I WILL SING YOU"
North Carolina, coll. 1940

Verse 12
Come and I will sing you
What will you sing?
Sing you twelve.
What are your twelve?
Twelve's the twelve apostles;
Eleven's the eleven that's gone to heaven;
Ten's the ten commandments;
Nine of the moon shines bright and clear;
Eight's the eight archangels;
Seven of the seven stars in the sky;
Six cheerful waters;
Five of the ferrymen on the boat;
Four gospel preachers;
Three of them are strangers;
Two of them are lily-white babes
Clothed the morning green;
One of them is God alone,
Shall forever 'main.

Pp. 202-205, no musical score. Headed "50, The Dilly Song."
Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore, vol. Two (See citations above).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Twelve Apostles
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Dec 13 - 09:10 PM

Tradsinger sings a Gloucestershire version, with musical score, that he linked in thread 37334, Green grow the rushes.

The 12-line "summary;" different in part from those quoted above:

THE TWELVE APOSTLES

I can sing a one
What is your one?
One by one lies all alone and ever more be seen oh.
...............

Twelve for the twelve apostles
'Leven for the eleven bright angels of heaven
And Ten for the ten commandments
Nine for the lights so shine-o
Eight for the Gabriel wine-o
Seven for the seven bright stars of heaven
And Six for the six broad maker (?)
Five for the indoors of my breast
And Four for the gospel maker
Three by three the tribal lee (?)
Two by two the lily white shoe
One by one lie all alone
and ever more be seen oh.

c. early 1900s.