Origins:Bad Husband's Folly, or Poverty Made Known

Subject: Origins: The Bad Husband's Folly, or Poverty Made
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Sep 20 - 07:16 PM

Riggy Rackin sang this song at a singaround today. I couldn't find it at Mudcat just then, but I found it hidden in another thread. I'll post it here in its own thread.

Thread #31678   Message #1277329
Posted By: Malcolm Douglas
21-Sep-04 - 10:35 AM
Thread Name: Origins of The Wild Rover
Subject: RE: Origins of The Wild Rover

The Wild Rover as we know it today started out as an English broadside song of the early 19th (just possibly late 18th) century; this however was a re-write, much shortened, of an earlier song by Thomas Lanfiere. Lanfiere wrote a whole series of sermonising tavern or "goodfellows" songs in the latter part of the 17th century, contemporary with the Brooksby song mentioned above (some were published by Brooksby). I don't know if he wrote The Alewife's Invitation, but it belongs to the same genre and employs some of the same commonplaces.

Bruce Olson and Jack Campin both quoted references to The Good Fellow's Resolution at various times in usenet discussions, which I later followed up. The Bodleian doesn't have a copy of this one, but it is transcribed in Roxburghe Ballads. Thomas Lanfiere's song is of 13 stanzas. I quote verses 1, 8 and 9, which are the core of the 19th century broadside re-writes.


The Good Fellow's Resolution; Or, The Bad Husband's return from his Folly
Being a Caveat for all Spend-Thrifts to beware of the Main Chance.

By T[homas] Lanfiere.


I have been a bad Husband this full fifteen year,
And have spent many pounds in good ale and strong beer:
I have Ranted in Ale-houses day after day,
And wasted my time and my Money away:
But now I'le beware, and have a great care,
Lest at the last Poverty falls to my share:
For now I will lay up my Money in store,
And I never will play the bad Husband ne more.

* * *

I went to an Hostiss where I us'd to resort,
And I made her believe that money was short;
I askt her to trust me, but she answered "Nay,
Enough of such Guests I can have every day."
Then quoth she, "Pray, forbear, there's no staying here,
Except you have money, you shall have no beer."
But now...

I pull'd out a handful of Money straightway,
And shew'd it unto her, to hear what she'd say;
Quoth she, "You shall have Beer and ale of the best,
You are kindly welcome, I did but speak in jest."
"O no, no," said I, "your words I defie,
I'le see you hang'd ere with you I'le spend a penny."
But now...

* * *

Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, J. Wright, J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passinger.

J W Ebsworth (ed), Roxburghe Ballads, Hertford: The Ballad Society, vol VI 1889, 342-345. Roxburghe Collection II 200; Jersey Collection II 269.

Printed before the end of 1682, when Vere's name ceases to appear. The tune specified, The Plow-man's Honour made known, seems to be lost.

Subject: RE: Origins:Bad Husband's Folly, or Poverty Made Known
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Sep 20 - 07:19 PM

Here are the chords Riggy posted.

  
       E                        Am F C         G         Am
  To all good fellows now I mean to sing a song
         E                             Am      F                    C            G             C
  And I have wrought my own decay, and have done myself great wrong
       Am    G       C                                     G          C
  In following the ale-house I have spent away my store
         
          C        G      Am      F          C      G         Am
  Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more
  
         Dm              G
  But I’ll do so no more
          C       G           C    Am       F        Dm  Em  F
  Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more
  C       G    Am
  I’ll do so no more

Subject: ADD: Bad Husband's Folly
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Sep 20 - 07:23 PM

Here are the lyrics Riggy posted.

BAD HUSBAND'S FOLLY

To all good fellows now I mean to sing a song
And I have wrought my own decay, and have done myself great wrong
In following the ale-house I have spent away my store
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more

CHORUS
But I’ll do so no more
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more
I’ll do so no more


I sold and mortgaged all that, and spent it in strong beer
My wife and friends could not rule me, until I did wax poor
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more

Then I fell sick upon the same and lay three months and more
But never an ale-wife in the town would come within my door
But my poor wife was my best friend and stuck to me therefore
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more

My wife she sold her petticoat and pawned her wedding ring
To relieve me in my misery in any kind of thing
Oh was I not a woeful man to waste and spend my store
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more

As soon as I get strength again I’ll fall to work apace
To maintain my wife and children for my needs they are base
I see who is a man’s best friend if he be sick or poor
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more

Subject: ADD Version:Bad Husband's Folly
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Sep 20 - 07:43 PM

THE BAD-HUSBAND'S FOLLY
Or, Poverty Made Known

A man may waste and spend away his store,
But if misery comes he has no help therefore;
This man, that brought himself into decay,
Shews other good fellows that they go not astray.

[To the tune of "Come Hither, My Own Sweet Duck]

To all good fellows now I mean to sing a song,
I have wrought my own decay, and have done myself great wrong;
In following the ale-house I have spent away my store,
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more.

That man that haunts the Ale-house, and likewise the Drunken Crew,
Is in danger to dye a Beggar without any more ado;
Would I might be an Example to all Good-Fellows sure;
Bad Company [did me undo, but I'le do so no more].

I had a fair Estate of Land, was worth forty pounds a year,
I sold and mortgaged all that, and spent it in strong Beer;
My wife and friends could not rule me, until I did wax poor:
Bad Company [did me undo, but I'le do so no more].

I came unto my Hostis[s], and called for Liquor apace,
She saw my money was plenty, and she smiled in my face;
If I said “Fill a Flaggon!” they set two upon the score,
Bad Company [did me undoe, but l’le do so no more].

I ranted night and day, and I let my Money flye,
While my wife was almost dead with grief, to hear her children cry;
For they were almost starv'd and pin'd, they wanted food so sore :
Bad Company [did me undo, but I'le do so no more].

At two a clock i' th' morn I would come Drunken home,
And if my wife spoke but a word, I'd kick her about the room ;
And domineer and swear, and call her [foul names a score,
Bad Company [did me undo, but I'le do 80 no more].

Then I fell sick upon the same, and lay three months and more,
But never an Ale-wife in the Town would come within my door ;
But my poor wife was my best friend, and stuck to me therefore :
Bad Company [did me undo, but I'le do so more].

My wife she sold her Petticoat, and pawn'd her Wedding-Ring,
To relieve me in my misery, in any kind of thing;
O was not I a woful man, to waste and spend my store,
And let my wife and children want at home, but I'le do so no more.

When I began to mend a little, I walkt to take the air,
And as I went along the Town I came by my Hostise's door;
I askt her for to trust me two-pence, she denyed me (and swore]:
The Money that I have spent with her ! but I'le do so no more.

As soon as I get strength agen I'le fall to work apace,
To maintain my wife and children, for my Hostises are base :
I see who is a man's best friend, if he be sick or poor,
Bad Company [did me undo, but I'le do so no more].

And when I do get money agen, I'le learn for to be wise,
And not believe the Drunken Crew, that filled my ears with lyes ;
And carry it home unto my wife, and of my Children take more care ;
Bad Company [did me undo, but I'le do 80 no more].

He runs a very long Race that never turns again,
I sold and mortgaged all that, and spent it in strong beer
My wife and friends could not rule me, until I did wax poor
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more

Then I fell sick upon the same and lay three months and more
But never an ale-wife in the town would come within my door
But my poor wife was my best friend and stuck to me therefore
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more

My wife she sold her petticoat and pawned her wedding ring
To relieve me in my misery in any kind of thing
Oh was I not a woeful man to waste and spend my store
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more

As soon as I get strength again I’ll fall to work apace
To maintain my wife and children for my needs they are base
I see who is a man’s best friend if he be sick or poor
Bad company did me undo, but I’ll do so no more


Source: Publications, Volume 29, page 493 - https://books.google.com/books?id=_2AOAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA494#v=onepage&q&f=false

Subject: RE: Origins:Bad Husband's Folly, or Poverty Made Known
From: Brian Peters
Date: 15 Sep 20 - 08:52 AM

Joe, this isn't the same piece as the 'Wild Rover' precursor, which has he subtitle 'The Bad Husband's return from his Folly. The broadside facsimile and transcription are on the EBBA site:

The Bad Husband's Folly

There were a number of these 'Bad Husband' alehouse ballads prined in the late 17th century. Here's what I wrote in my article on the history of 'The Wild Rover' for the 2015 Folk Music Journal:

‘Alehouse ballads’ flourished during the seventeenth century. Some of the earliest examples are found in the first volume of Samuel Pepys’s collection, which includes a section devoted to ‘Drinking and Good Fellowship’ – a ‘good fellow’ in this context being a drinking companion. Although conviviality is a recurring theme, the dangers of profligate consumption are signalled: in A Goodfellowes Complaint against Strong Beere, the drinker, who ‘once enjoyed both house and land’, is forced to rely on the pawnshop to keep him from ruin, while the previously welcoming tapster is now ‘like to thrust me out of doore’.

The last three decades of the century saw further developments of this theme with the publication of a dozen or more ‘bad husband’ ballads, in which the errant spouse wastes his money in the alehouse, leaves his family destitute, and abuses his wife verbally, or physically, before seeing the error of his ways. A colourful cast of ‘bad husbands’ reform, repent, recant, or ‘turn thrifty’ in these ballads...