Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not

Subject: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: GUEST,George Frampton
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 06:25 AM

I am trying to establish the provenance of a song, a fragment of which is found in the Cullercoats fishing tradition, which contains the lines:
O 'av lost me lad, but a care not, care not, care not,
For I've gotten another as good as the other

My apologies with local people for my transliteration from written text into standard English. It sounds like part of 'I Wish I was Single Again' but I'm not convinced.

Can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: GUEST,Sean O'Shea
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 07:42 AM

The Dorset tradition has a version.This is some of it,in fact,maybe all of it.

I've lost my love and I care not,
I've lost my love and I care not.
I'll soon have another one better than she,
I've lost my love and I care not.

She's gone away and I care not,
She's gone away and I care not,
For I'll soon have another one better than she,
She's gone away and I care not.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: GUEST,George Frampton
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 08:39 AM

Thanks Sean.
Have you a name for the song and its source? Sorry to be pernicketty, but I'd need to at least quote it in a reference.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: GUEST,Sean O'Shea.
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 09:41 AM

I Believe it is known as I'VE LOST MY LOVE.
I remember hearing it sung by George Gorge[honestly that was his name],a farm worker in Tarrant Hinton,Dorset in the 1950's.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 10:35 AM

Similar sentiments in "Mormond Braes"...

"There's many a lass has lost her lad
And gotten another richt airly."

"There's many a good fish intae the sea
As ever yet been taken.
I'll cast my net and try again
For I was only once forsaken."

Linn

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 02:29 PM

I'm pretty certain it's an old song dating back to the late 17thc.

There's a verse in Gale Huntington's 'Songs the Whalemen Sang' p274 under the title 'Moll Brooks' It's possible 'Moll Brooks' is a Mondegreen for 'Marlborough' which is well-known tune. 'Moll Brooks' is the designated tune in the journal (Euphrasia, 1849)

I've lost my beau but I care not
He would come back but he dare not
I could have another but I will not
I will be happy and free.

The Greig Duncan Collection Vol6, p192 has a slightly longer version recorded in 1906.

I've lost my love an I keena well fu
I've lost my love an I carna
For laith would I be jist to lie down an dee
An to sit down an greet would be bairnly.

O plague on the men their so sly an demure
As pawky as diels wi their smiling
As fickle as winter in sunshine an shower
The hearts o' fair maidens beguiling

3rd starts as 1st....
......................
The lossing o ane's thew gainin o twa
Fain wid he come back but he daurna.

Cecilia Costello of Birmingham sings the one verse fragment on the double CD recently produced by Musical Traditions (MTCD363-4) of all her songs. It's on disc 2. track 60.

Oh, I lost me love and I care not,
He wants to come back but he dare not
So I'll have another as good as the other
And I don't care for neither.

Notes: 9 entries in Roud Index. John Strachan and Ray Fisher knew it in Scotland and the Opies found it as a children's game song in Birmingham.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 03:32 PM

Arthur Watson, of Aberdeen group "The Gaugers", used to sing a song called "Drunk Since Iver I Saw Yer Face" which contains those lines.
There is a version of the song called "Jock Since Ever" in "The Scottish Folksinger", collated by Peter Hall and Norman Buchan.
Here are the verses, the one relevant to your query is the second :

Ch. "Jock since ever I seen your face,
    Oh Jock since ever I kent ye,
    Jock since ever I seen your face,
    Dae ye mind o' the shilling I lent ye ?"

1 - "Oh some fell on their bended knees,
    The ladies fell a-faintin'
    But I fell tae my breid and cheese,
    For I aye had mind o' the main thing.

Ch.

2 - "I lost my love, an' I dinna ken hoo
    I lost my love an' I care na
    The losin' o' ane's the gainin' o' twa
    I'll soon get anither I fear na.

Ch.

The notes merely say "Traditional, additional verses Enoch Kent"
Hope this may be of interest.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: GUEST,Anne Neilson
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 03:45 PM

This appears as a verse in a wee bit of Lowland Scots mouth music:-

CHO Jock, since ever I saw your face,
       Jock, since ever I kent ye, (knew you)
       Jock, since ever I saw your face --
       D'ye mind o the shilling I lent ye?

1) I lost my love an I dinna ken hoo, (don't know how)
    I lost my love an I care na, (care not)
    The losin o ane's the gaining o twa -- (the losing of one's the gaining of two)
    I'll soon get another, I fear na.

2) The lassies are sae very nice
    But they canna keep fae squealing.
    They're no made o sugar an spice --
    They're made o tattie peelings! (potato peelings)

3) The boys are tough an hard as iron
    An always fu' o laughter;
    The only thing that gies them a fright (gives)
    Is bags o soap an watter! (water)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: GUEST,Anne Neilson
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 03:49 PM

Apologies for cross-posting (obviously a slower typer than Kenny -- and I'd forgotten about the bread and cheese verse, so thanks for that!).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I have lost my lad, but I care not
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 22 Apr 16 - 03:55 PM

The tune for this was used for the dance "Nightingale" by John O'Gaunt Morris. I think we pinched it from Frank Lea (Spelling?).
The tune stand up well on its own as an expressive item.