Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile

Subject: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: GUEST,Vin2
Date: 17 Jun 14 - 05:44 PM

Just learnt the song High Germany and am intrigued how the story closely resembles Banks of the Nile i.e. the guy being 'routed' to go and fight for King (or queen) and country with a high probability of never returning. So in B.O.N she decides to go with him but he dissuades her as he reckons her body 'is too weak to stand a long campaign' but in H.G it is he who wants her to go but her feet are too tender (oh and she's pregnant)

Makes you think the songs might've been written by same person.

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 17 Jun 14 - 05:55 PM

These are what we call commonplaces and occur in a number of similar broadside ballads. Check out 'Lisbon', and pieces related to Manchester Angel, Streams of Lovely Nancy etc. on the Bodleian Broadside Ballad website.

It's not impossible that they were written by the same hack, but what is more likely is a hack saw how well a particular ballad was selling and decided to write one similar using some of the stock phrases and ideas.

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: GUEST,Vin2
Date: 19 Jun 14 - 06:51 AM

Good point Gardham, cheers !

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 19 Jun 14 - 09:02 AM

One point that stops them being written by the same person would be if HG was over a century older than BOTN which seems very likely.

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jun 14 - 02:36 PM

Great songs tho eh ? Love M.Carthy's version of High Germany from very early album (1965) and the BOTN version I know is from the singing of The Young Tradition. Sandy Denny's version with Fotheringay is tremendous too.

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: Lighter
Date: 19 Jun 14 - 04:07 PM

The Dubliners' "High Germany" is hard to beat.

As is, in a quieter idiom, MacColl & Seeger's "Banks of the Nile" (where, I believe, everybody else found it).

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jun 14 - 05:25 PM

Ahh yes you're right Lighter, Luke Kelly's rendition is splendid. Not familiar with the MacColl / Seeger version of B.O.N - I shall seek it out

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: JHW
Date: 20 Jun 14 - 05:20 PM

Oh no it's June and I forgot to sing Lisbon. (It was on one Whitsun Wednesday, the fourteenth day of May)
AND checking the calendar the 14th was a Wednesday...

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: Snuffy
Date: 26 Jun 14 - 09:04 AM

But with Easter being late, Whit Sunday was 8th June this year, so Whitsun Wednesday was presumably the 11th of this month

Subject: RE: Origins: High Germany / Banks of the Nile
From: GUEST,sciencegeek
Date: 26 Jun 14 - 09:49 AM

I fell in love with their version of Banks of the Nile... and every other song on their album... when it was an LP... lol! that and Manchester Angel... two must haves, in my opinion

Classic Scots Ballads, MacColl & Peggy Seeger