Lyr Req: can you complete this song?-3 Welshmen

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?-3 Welshmen
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 03:39 PM

The song is from the middle of the 17th century when it was on a Black Letter broadside titled 'Choice of Inventions'. The three men were of Gotam (presumably Gotham). Various 'Gothams claim the stories. The fame of The Mad Men of Gotham goes back at least Henry VIII's time. They would need to ride a hunting on 'St David's Day, which might have led to their being pronounced Welshmen in later versions. The later versions are simply developments of the first stanza:

There were three men of Gotam
as I have heard men say,
That needs would ride a hunting
Upon St David's Day.
Though all the day they hunting were,
Yet no sport could they see,
Untill they spied an Owle
As she sate in a tree.
The first man said it was a Goose,
The second man said nay,
The third man said it was a Hawke,
But his Bels were falne away.

The full ballad is available on the Santa Barbara UCal English Ballads website. Chappell claims the Roxburghe print is a unique survival in Roxburghe. (https://ia800200.us.archive.org/31/items/roxburgheballads02chapuoft/roxburgheballads02chapuoft.pdf)

If the Elliotts sang it they will be the prime source for that version. It was fairly common among farm hands in East Yorkshire in the 1960s.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 02:34 PM

Why the Three Welshmen when it's an Englishman, an Irishman & a Scotsman?

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It's a Geordie variant of Three Jolly Welshmen (click). -Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 30 Dec 13 - 12:13 PM

The Elliotts of Birtley always claimed it to be a family song and it is included on their "Songs of a North East Mining Family" and possibly on Jack Elliott's Leader album (I'll have to check). Bob Davenport certainly used to sing it and it was he from whom I first heard it. It was pretty widespread around the North East in the folk clubs with extra verses being added to it; I claim responsibility for the "Roker Park" verse but plenty folkies up there will dispute that!
Also as has previously been mentioned the song has variants throughout the country.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: GUEST,broody
Date: 30 Dec 13 - 08:56 AM

Anonymous Guest - I've never seen that page before (and so what if I had) but you are not as observant as you think you are. I spell Geordie correctly. I also spell "one" correctly....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 30 Dec 13 - 03:28 AM

Google search on this site finds:

Lyr Req: Back in Durham Gaol (Jez Lowe).

Might have more.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 13 - 08:51 PM

broody said he can only remember on verse. The verse he 'remembers' is from

http://cbladey.com/sang/priests5.html#A Verse on Durham


Remarkable memory right down to the punctuation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Dec 13 - 09:58 AM

I have it with Durham Gaol as the last verse -

First they saw was a hedgehog - Englishman , its a hedghog , Sotsman - Nay - Geordie says it a pincushion with the pins stuck in the wrong way

Next they saw was a cow pat ! Geordie says its a currant bun with the currants all blown away

Possible alternative last verse - Excise Man - Geordie says its the Devil himself and all three ran away

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: Tradsinger
Date: 29 Dec 13 - 09:22 AM

There are loads of versions of this song, which I normally know as "Three men went a-hunting". My recollection is that Bob Davenport used to sing the particular Geordie version that you refer to.

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: GUEST,broody
Date: 29 Dec 13 - 08:44 AM

Did a search as TB suggested but can't find this particular song (lots of stuff on Jez Lowe)

Can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 28 Dec 13 - 07:38 PM

3 Welshmen may not be the right variant

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 28 Dec 13 - 06:38 PM

There are other threads on this (and Jez Lowe's song of the same name), one of which has just been resurrected recently: just do a search on Durham Gaol.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: Gurney
Date: 28 Dec 13 - 04:36 PM

It is called 'We went Along a Bit Further.' Or alang, and farther.
I can't find it at the moment. There is one verse online with Benny Graham singing it. Shouldn't be surprised if Vin Garbutt did, too.

My recollection of the usual words is polluted by the fact that I turned it into 'Three Horis Went a'Hunting' about a generation ago, when I was teasing some Maori mates, localising it to NZ.
They loved it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: Gurney
Date: 28 Dec 13 - 03:34 PM

It's a Geordie variant of 'Three Jovial Welshmen.'
I've got it somewhere. If no-one comes up with it, I will when I have time.

Subject: Lyr Req: can you complete this song?
From: GUEST,broody
Date: 28 Dec 13 - 03:20 PM

I can only remember one verse. Anyone know the rest?

Three men went a hunting to see what they could find
Then they came to Durham Gaol and that they left behind
The Englishman said "It's Durham Gaol"
The Scotsman he said "Nay"
and Geordie said "'Tis Parliament with the Geordies gone away"
Look at that now, Look at that now,
Titti fa la fa la fa lay, Titti fa la fa lay.