Origins: Rag Dance Song (La Guignolee)

Subject: Lyr Add: Rag Dance Song (La Guignolee)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 02:06 AM

Needs more study and work:

The Rag Dance Song (La Guignolee)
Harnett Kane's Southern Christmas Book describes La Guignolee, a New Year visiting custom from French communities in Missouri. We learned this English version, The Rag Dance Song, from George and Gerry Armstrong of Chicago.

RAG DANCE SONG (La Guignolee)

CHORUS
Good evening, master and good mistress
And all the good folk who live here. (repeat)

We've come to ask for mistletoe
On this last day of the old year. (repeat)

If you want to say you like us,
Just say so, please feed and wine us,
We only ask a pig's ear, then we'll go,
And I wish you a Happy New Year. (repeat)

CHORUS
If you really want to please us,
Just say so, go fetch your daughter,
We only want to kiss her, then we'll go,
And I wish you a Happy New Year. (repeat)

CHORUS
If you really want to please us,
Just say so, go grab your rag bag,
We only want a rag dance, then we'll go,
And I wish you a Happy New Year. (repeat)

Repeat CHORUS + rag bag verse

http://www.goldenhindmusic.com/lyrics/RAGDANCE.html

1990 performance by Nowell Sing We Clear (nice clogging by Tony Barrand on this):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0jeEIWQXE8

Studio performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR0pt1yDC6Q

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Traditional Ballad Index entry:

Guillannée, La (La Gui-Annee)

DESCRIPTION: A (new year's) revel song, in which the singers demand pork-chine, or else the daughter of the house. Guillannee is mistletoe. In English this becomes "La Gui-Annee"; the singers declare "We've come to ask for mistletoe on this last day of the old year."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1914 (Belden); according to McIntosh, a version was copyrighted by Mrs. Charles P. Johnson in that same year
KEYWORDS: foreignlanguage nonballad party father children
FOUND IN: US(MW, So) Canada(Ont)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Belden, pp. 515-516, "La Guignolee (La Gaie-Annee)" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-MRFolklr, p. 584, "La Guillannee" (1 text, 1 tune)
BerryVin, p. 10, "La Guillannee" (1 text + translation, 1 tune)
McIntosh, pp. 3-7, "La Gui-Annee" (1 text, 1 tune)
McNeil-SMF, p. 34, "(La Guignolee)" (1 text + translation)
RECORDINGS:
Bloomsdale Singers, "La Guignolee" (KSGM 11279-A, n.d., prob. 1950s)
Prairie Durocher [sic] Singers, "La Guignolee" (KSGM 11279-B, n.d., prob. 1950s)
NOTES [35 words]: Botkin offers extensive notes on the Guillannee custom. He quotes Carriere: "The name Guillannée is to be explained as an abbreviation of gui de l'année, gui de la nouvelle année, New Year's Mistletoe." - RBW
Last updated in version 5.0
File: BMRF584

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Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rag Dance Song (La Guignolee)
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 27 Apr 20 - 02:36 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t253HJLCiw

Same song(??) but in French.

Subject: ADD: La Guignolee
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Apr 20 - 03:38 AM

La Guignolée (La Gaie-Année)

Bonsoir, le maitre et la maitresse
Et tout le monde du logis.
Pour le dernier jour de l’année
La Guiannée vous nous devez.

Si vous n’avez rien à nous donner,
Dites-nous-le.
Nous vous demandons seulement une échinée;
Une échinée n’est pas grand chose.
Elle n’a que quatre pieds de long;
Et nous en ferons une fricassée
De quatre-vingt-dix pieds de long.

Si vous n’avez rien à nous donner,
Dites-nous-le.
Nous vous demandons seulement la fille ainée,
Et nous lui ferons faire bonne chère.
Nous lui ferons chauffer les pieds.
Nous lui ferons faire bonne chère,
Nous lui ferons chauffer les pieds.

Quand nous fûmes au milieu des bois
Nous fûmes à l’ombre.
J’ai attendu le coucou chanter
Et la colombe;
Et le rossignol du vert berceau
Va aller dire à ma maitresse
Que j’ai toujours le coeur joyeux.

Et j’ai toujours le coeur joyeux,
Point de tristesse.
Mais ces jeunes filles qu’ont pas d’amants,
Comment font elles?
Ce sont les amoureux qui les réveillent
Et qui les empêchent de dormir.

En suppliant la compagnie
De vouloir bien excuser*
Si nous avons fait quelque folie
C’était pour vous désennuyer.
Une autre année nous en prendrons garde,
Si nous avons l’honneur de revenir.

Bonsoir, le maitre et la maitresse
Et tout le monde du logis.


*Or De bien vouloir nous excuser.


La Guignolée (La Gaie-Année)
Belden Notes:
Of this the Missouri collection has the following text and tune, contributed in 1914 by Mrs. Edward Schaaf of St. Mary’s, Ste. Genevieve County, who is herself a descendant of Francois Vallé, the Commandant of Ste. Genevieve at the end of the eighteenth century.

‘La Gui-Année.’ Mrs. Schaaf says: ‘The music is entirely traditional Even the man who leads with the violin has no written notes. He told me, when I asked him for a copy of the notes: “We learn it from each other.” Generally there is only one violin, sometimes two; the players march with the band. The air is very simple; really nothing but a chant. And the dance is really not a dance, just a sort of shuffling march to keep time with the music. The members of the band always wear masks, and are supposed not to be known. . . . The favorite costume is that of an Indian chief. . . . It is quite likely that the custom and the costumes are a mixture of French and Indian.’

Source: Ballads and Songs Collected by the Missouri Folk-Lore Society, edited by H.M. Belden (University of Missouri Studies, 1940, 1955) Page 515

I'll transcribe the tune upon request.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rag Dance Song (La Guignolee)
From: Monique
Date: 28 Apr 20 - 10:29 AM

Here is my translation -well, I actually only fixed the one by Google.

Good evening, master and mistress
And everyone in the house.
For the last day of the year
You owe us the guiannée.

If you have nothing to give us,
Tell us so.
We only ask you for a pork chine/spare ribs;
A pork chine is not much.
It is only four feet long
And we will make a ninety feet long fricassee of it.

If you have nothing to give us,
Tell us so.
We only ask you for the eldest daughter,
And we will give her a fine fare,
We will make her feet warm.
We will give her a fine fare,
We will make her feet warm.

When we were in the middle of the woods
We were in the shade.
I waited for the cuckoo to sing
And the dove;
And the nightingale of the green cradle
Go and tell my mistress
That my heart is always happy.

And my heart is always happy,
No sadness.
But these young girls who have no lovers,
How do they do?
It's the lovers who wake them up
And prevent them from sleeping.

By begging the company
To excuse (us) please *
If we did some madness
It was to divert you/stop you being bored.
Another year we will take care (of not getting you bored),
If another time we have the honor to come back.

Good evening, master and mistress
And everyone in the house.

*Or "to be nice enough to excuse us.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rag Dance Song (La Guignolee)
From: Anglo
Date: 30 Apr 20 - 01:52 PM

This is one of the local Missouri French customs Dennis Stroughmatt has researched, and recorded a version on one of his albums. He has immersed himself in this tradition and knows more about it than anyone. And he's a damn fine fiddler to boot.

Subject: RE: Origins: Rag Dance Song (La Guignolee)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 May 20 - 03:24 AM

John, where did George and Gerry Armstrong get their translation, that was then made infamuus by Nowell Sing We Clear? It's such a fun song.

Monique, is it sung in France?

Subject: RE: Origins: Rag Dance Song (La Guignolee)
From: Monique
Date: 01 May 20 - 04:33 AM

No, it's a Canadian thing. I'd never heard of it before you posted it. Fr. Wiki says "The guignolée is an annual event taking place in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario in the last days of November or the first of December. It takes the form of collecting non-perishable food and money to help the most disadvantaged, by preparing "Christmas baskets" filled with non-perishable food."