Origins: The Man in the Moon (from Full English)

Subject: Lyr Req: man in the moon
From: GUEST,brooko
Date: 19 Dec 13 - 10:42 AM

Does anybody have the lyrics for man in the moon. Off the full English project album

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the man in the moon
From: Reinhard
Date: 19 Dec 13 - 12:44 PM

Man in the Moon

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the man in the moon
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Dec 13 - 06:11 AM

thanks Reinhard.i sing in a shanty crew,and we are having our annual dinner soon and we all have to learn a new song to sing.so this is the one Ive chosen.

brooko

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: the man in the moon
From: Reinhard
Date: 20 Dec 13 - 09:41 AM

You chose a good one. Have fun with it!

Subject: Origins: Man in the Moon
From: Musicboy
Date: 24 Jan 16 - 09:01 AM

Does anyone know who associated the Scan Tester tune "The Man in the Moon" with the words from the Alfred Williams manuscript, as sung by The New English here
https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/maninthemoon.html

Subject: RE: Origins: Man in the Moon
From: Musicboy
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 01:28 PM

That'll be a "no" then!

Subject: RE: Origins: Man in the Moon
From: Tradsinger
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 01:43 PM

I think it was the "Full English" band.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Origins: Man in the Moon
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 25 Jan 16 - 05:41 PM

Yes, what Tradsinger said.
If MainlyNorfolk says something like " I have no information when and from whom he collected it. It can be found in the Alfred Williams Manuscript Collection No. Mi. 626." and the very next para says
"Fay Hield and Nancy Kerr sang an abridged version of Man in the Moon in 2013... "
I sort of assume that is the definitive answer.
I suspect that if anyone knew more they'd have been in touch and had the page updated.

Subject: Lyr ADD: The Man in the Moon (from Full English)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 May 22 - 08:27 PM

Reinhard gives good coverage of this song at Mainly Norfolk, and sometimes I wonder if there's any need for me do duplicate what Reinhard has already done so well. We have lots of interesting information on the song in the thread titled Man in the Moon - old song? (particularly the posts from Mick Pearce), but that thread is confusing because there are other "Man in the Moon" songs mixed in. I thought I could use this thread to give a summary of the information we have on this particular song.
Here's a live performance of the song by The Full English:

https://youtu.be/i-LZuoFIMgU

Here's a studio performance by The Full English, followed by my transcription of the studio performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyXxamMDWhU

THE MAN IN THE MOON (recorded by The Full English)

When a bumper is filled, it is vexing, no doubt,
To find when you rise that the wine has run out;
And sure it's an equally unpleasant thing,
To be asked for a song when you've naught left to sing.
I could sing something old, if an old one would do,
But the world it is craving to have something new,
But what to select for the words or the tune,
I, in fact, know no more than the Man in the Moon.

The Man in the Moon a new light on us throws;
He's a man we all talk of but nobody knows;
And though a high subject, I'm getting in tune—
I'll just sing a song for the Man in the Moon.

'Tis said that some people are moonstruck, we find,
That the Man in the Moon must be out of his mind,
But it can't be for love, for he's quite on his own—
No ladies to meet him by moonlight alone;
It can't be ambition, for rivals he's none—
At least he is only eclipsed by the sun,
But when drinking, I say, he is seldom surpassed,
For he always looks best when he's seen through a glass.

The Man in the Moon a new light on us throws;
He's a man we all talk of but nobody knows;
And though a high subject, I'm getting in tune—
I'll just sing a song for the Man in the Moon.

The Man in the Moon he must lead a queer life,
With no one around him, not even a wife,
No friends to console him, no children to kiss,
No chance of him joining a party like this.
But he's used to high life, all circles agree,
That none move in such a high circle as he,
And though nobles go up in their royal balloon,
They're not introduced to the Man in the Moon.

The Man in the Moon a new light on us throws;
He's a man we all talk of but nobody knows;
And though a high subject, I'm getting in tune—
I'll just sing a song for the Man in the Moon.

The Man in the Moon a new light on us throws;
He's a man we all talk of but nobody knows;
And though a high subject, I'm getting in tune—
I'll just sing a song for the Man in the Moon.

Subject: ADD Version: The Man in the Moon
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 May 22 - 09:16 PM

And no doubt the Full English recording is based on the Alfred Williams manuscript, Roud #21397:

THE MAN IN THE MOON

When a bumper is filled, it is vexing, no doubt,
To find when you rise that the wine has run out;
And sure 'tis an equally unpleasant thing,
To be asked for a song when you've nothing to sing.
I could try something old, if an old one would do,
But the world it is craving to have something new,
And what to select for the words or the tune,
I, in fact, know no more than the Man in the Moon.
The Man in the Moon a new light on us throws;
He's a man we all talk of but nobody knows;
And though a high subject, I'm getting in tune—
I'll just have a turn at the Man in the Moon.

The Man in the Moon must lead a queer life,
With no-one around him, not even a wife,
No friends to console him, no children to kiss,
No chance of his joining a party like this.
He changes his house each quarter unpleasant,
Living first in a circle and then in a crescent;
If he rents by these quarters so fast going by,
I should think he is rented uncommonly high;
But he's used to high life, for all circles agree,
That none move in such a high circle as he,
And though nobles go up in their royal balloon,
They can't get introduced to the Man in the Moon.

'Tis said that some people are moonstruck, we find,
And the Man in the Moon may be out of his mind,
But it can't be for love, for he's quite on his own—
No girls there to meet him by moonlight alone;
It can't be ambition, for rivals he's none—
At least he is only eclipsed by the sun,
And though in his prospects overclouded he sees,
The Man in the Moon can make light of all these.
In drinking, I fear, he may sometimes surpass,
For he always looks best when seen through a glass;
And in smoking, though you may smoke morning and noon,
You can't blow a cloud like the Man in the Moon!

He's a mighty sad rake, he don't rise till it's dark,
When the night it sets in he sets out for a lark;
Goes roaming about and sings with the spheres,
“We won't go home till morning, till daylight appears.”
He looks in at the stars that go shooting up there,
Lets loose the Dog Star to bait the Great Bear;
At the Milky Way calls for a minute or two,
Has some milk but don't pay, 'cos he swears 'tis sky blue;
But daylight soon takes the shine out of him quite,
He goes home and gets into bed by sunlight,
And though you may think him a regular spoon,
You'd be plagued to get over the Man in the Moon.

Subject: ADD Version: The Man in the Moon
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 May 22 - 10:10 PM

The song can also be found in Everybody's song book, or, The saloon visitor's companion : being a choice selection of new & favourite songs. I think this one is a bit more polished than the Alfred Williams transcription. I like it better.

THE MAN IN THE MOON

When a bumper is filled, tis vexing, no doubt,
To find when you'd fill that the wine has run out;
And 'tis surely an equally unpleasant thing,
To be asked for a song, when you've nothing to sing.
I might try something old, if an old one would do,
But the world it is craving to have something new,
And what to select for the words or the tune,
I in fact know no more than the Man in the Moon.
Ah! the Man in the Moon a new light on me throws,
He's a man we all talk of, but nobody knows,
And though a high subject, I'm getting in tune,
I'll just have a turn at the Man in the Moon.

The Man in the Moon seems to lead a queer life,
With no one about him, not even a wife;
No friends to console him, no children to kiss,
No chance of his joining a party like this.
His changing his lodging each quarter unpleasant,
Living first in a circus and then in a crescent;
If he rents by these quarters, so fast going by,
I should think he's rented uncommonly high;
But he's used to high life, for all circles agree,
None are moving in such a high circle as he—
For though nobles go up in a royal balloon,
They can't get introduced to the man in the moon.

'Tis thought that all madmen are moon-struck we find,
And the man in the moon may be out of his mind;
But it can't be for love, for 'tis very well known,
There's no girls there to meet him by moonlight alone;
It can't be ambition, for rivals he's none,
At least, he is only eclipsed by the sun;
Though his prospects are often o'erclouded he sees,
But the man in the moon can make light of all these.
In drinking, I fear, he may sometimes surpass,
For he always looks best when seen through a glass;
Then for smoking, though we may smoke morning and noon,
You can't blow a cloud like the man in the moon!

He's a mighty sad rake, he don't rise till it's dark,
And when the night sets in he sets out for a lark;
Goes mooning about and sings out to the spheres,—
“We won't go home till morning and daylight appears.”
He looks in at the stars that go shooting up there,
And lets loose the Dog Star to bait the Great Bear;
At the Milky-Way stops for a minute or two,
Has some milk, but don't pay, 'cos he swears it's sky blue.
But daylight soon takes the shine out of him quite,
And he goes home, and gets into bed by sunlight,
And though you may think him a regular spoon,
You'd be plagued to get over the Man in the Moon.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Man in the Moon (from Full English)
From: Reinhard
Date: 29 May 22 - 12:43 AM

Thank you Joe for your transcription but one small correction: Fay sings 'naught left to sing' in line 4.

Thanks, Reinhard. Correction made.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: The Man in the Moon (from Full English)
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 29 May 22 - 05:08 AM

Despite the Full English project having married the words and tune, to my mind they're a poor fit. The words have four stresses in each line while the Scan Tester tune has alternating four and three, with a long held note at the end of each second line.

I have been known to tack the Tester tune onto the end of Frodo's song (to the tune that I think came from Ken Langsbury). In the last verse of the song I slow down the 6/8 rhythm to 3/4 to merge into the tune.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Man in the Moon (from Full English)
From: GUEST,CJB666
Date: 02 Jun 22 - 01:43 PM

The_Man_in_the_Moon_Stayed_Up_Too_Late - J.R.R.Tolkien

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Man_in_the_Moon_Stayed_Up_Too_Late

There is an inn, a merry old inn
beneath an old grey hill,
And there they brew a beer so brown
That the Man in the Moon himself came down
One night to drink his fill.

The ostler has a tipsy cat
that plays a five-stringed fiddle;
And up and down he runs his bow,
Now squeaking high, now purring low,
Now sawing in the middle.

The landlord keeps a little dog
that is mighty fond of jokes;
When there's good cheer among the guests,
He cocks an ear at all the jests
and laughs until he chokes.

They also keep a hornéd cow
as proud as any queen;
But music turns her head like ale,
And makes her wave her tufted tail
and dance upon the green.

And O! the rows of silver dishes
and the store of silver spoons!
For Sunday there's a special pair,
And these they polish up with care
on Saturday afternoons.

The Man in the Moon was drinking deep,
and the cat began to wail;
A dish and a spoon on the table danced,
The cow in the garden madly pranced,
and the little dog chased his tail.

The Man in the Moon took another mug,
and then rolled beneath his chair;
And there he dozed and dreamed of ale,
Till in the sky the stars were pale,
and dawn was in the air.

Then the ostler said to his tipsy cat;
'The white horses of the Moon,
They neigh and champ their silver bits;
But their master's been and drowned his wits,
and the Sun'll be rising soon!'

So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,
a jig that would wake the dead:
He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune,
While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:'
'It's after three!' he said.

They rolled the Man slowly up the hill
and bundled him into the Moon,
While the horses galloped up in rear,
And the cow came capering like a deer,
and a dish ran up with a spoon.

Now quicker the fiddle went deedle-dum-diddle;
the dog began to roar,
The cow and the horses stood on their heads;
The guests all bounded from their beds
and danced upon the floor.

With a ping and a pong the fiddle-strings broke!
the cow jumped over the Moon,
And the little dog laughed to see such fun,
And the Saturday dish went off at a run
with the silver Sunday spoon.

The round Moon rolled behind the hill,
as the Sun raised up her head.
She hardly believed her fiery eyes:
For though it was day, to her surprise
they all went back to bed!

====

Subject: RE: Origins: The Man in the Moon (from Full English)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Aug 22 - 05:16 AM

More importantly, does anyone know the chords to the song?

Subject: RE: Origins: The Man in the Moon (from Full English)
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Aug 22 - 03:03 PM

the best thing is to listen to the tune and work them out

Subject: RE: Origins: The Man in the Moon (from Full English)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 10 Aug 22 - 11:47 AM

Roll your leg over the man in the moon?