Lyr ADD: Roger's Courtship

Subject: Lyr Req: Roger's Courtship
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Feb 21 - 03:55 PM

Pete Twitchett sang this today. It's in Marrow Bones, I think.

link (click)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roger's Courtship
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 08 Feb 21 - 04:12 PM

Yes, page 87 in the second edition. Roud 575, not to be confused with all the other Roger's Courtship songs. This one goes back before 1728 as it's mentioned in Gay's The Beggar's Opera. There are 20th century recordings and it appeared in the Universal Songster for 1826.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roger's Courtship
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 08 Feb 21 - 04:44 PM

Yes...it is in Marrow Bones. Great song collected in Hampshire in 1906.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roger's Courtship
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 21 - 05:30 AM

Jan's Courtship http://glostrad.com/jans-courtship/?fwp_search_browse=courtship

Tradsinger

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roger's Courtship
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Feb 23 - 03:50 PM

We still need this. Pete Twitchett says it's also in Songs of the Upper Thames.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roger's Courtship
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 20 Feb 23 - 05:14 PM

All you need is the Roud Index for 575 for the different versions.
Yes it's p171 in FSUT, also in Baring Gould's Songs of the West, and the
Greig-Duncan Collection, Sam Henry's Songs of the People. Veteran Tapes has several recordings. It was given in Notes and Queries at various times in the 19thc. Sharp collected at least 3 versions. As well as the version in Marrow bones we gave another in Southern Harvest.

Although we have the Universal Songster version from 1826 I don't appear to have a broadside copy yet. This earliest text is titled 'Poor Bob' and indeed in one of the Notes & Queries versions it's titled 'Robin in Search of a Wife'. Southern versions call him Jan but later versions are nearly all Roger.

Baring Gould claims an earlier song in the Roxburgh Ballads is related but that is not the case. The 2 versions of the song given there are just parental advice to a son and have no text or plot in common.

Subject: ADD: Roger's Courtship
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 21 Feb 23 - 11:30 AM

These are the words that I sing. The tune is in Marrowbones.

ROGER'S COURTSHIP

Now Roger my son, come listen to me
And I’ll give you good counsel for life.
If you wear your best clothes with a new pair of hose
I warrant you’ll get you a wife
You will,
Yes you will,
So you will,
I warrant you’ll get you a wife
You will.

So Roger put on his very best clothes
That were neither tattered nor torn.
And in his best clothes with his new yellow hose
He looked like a gentleman born
He did,
Yes he did,
So he did,
He looked like a gentleman born,
He did.

Now the very first damsel that he came across
Was the farmer’s fair daughter named Grace.
Before he could whisper three words in her ear
She gave him a slap in the face
She did,
Yes she did,
So she did,
She gave him a slap in the face
She did.

And the very next maiden that he came across
Was the landlord’s fair daughter named Kate.
Before he could utter three words of his troth
She gave him a crack on the pate
She did,
Yes she did,
So she did,
She gave him a crack on the pate.
She did.

As Roger was walking all down the Main Street
Admiring of all the fine folks;
He happened to kiss the wife of the priest
And she had him clapped into the stocks
She did,
Yes she did,
So she did,
She had him clapped into the stocks,
She did.

Well if these are the troubles of getting a wife
I shall not seek for another!
I shall stay single for all of my life
And I shall stay home with my mother!
I will,
So I will,
Yes I will,
I shall stay home with my mother
I will.

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Roger's Courtship
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 21 Feb 23 - 12:24 PM

The format is of course characteristic of the theatrical pieces of the early 18th century, perhaps from a comic opera. This would fit in with Gay's use of the tune in Beggar's Opera. All of this and further detail is in our notes to the second edition of Marrow Bones. Malcolm even thought it typical of 17th century pieces but I'm not convinced.

Subject: ADD Version: Roger's Courtship
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Feb 23 - 03:35 PM

Here's the version from Marrow Bones, Gardiner No. H487, page 87 in the 2007 EFDSS edition of the book.

ROGER'S COURTSHIP

Now Roger my son, just listen to me
And I’ll give you good counsel for life.
Put on your best clothes and your very best hose
And I'll warrant you’ll get you a wife
You will,
Yes you will,
So you will,
And I'll warrant you’ll get you a wife
You will.

So Roger put on his very best clothes
Which neither were tattered nor torn.
And to match his best clothes he had new yellow hose
And he looked like a gentleman born
He did,
Yes he did,
So he did,
And he looked like a gentleman born,
He did.

The very first damsel he happened to meet
Was the farmer’s fine daughter named Grace.
But before he had whispered three words in her ear
She gave him a slap in the face
She did,
Yes she did,
So she did,
She gave him a slap in the face
She did.

As Roger was walking along the street
Admiring of all the fine folks;
He happened to kiss the wife of the priest
And she had him put in the stocks
She did,
Yes she did,
So she did,
She had him put in the stocks,
She did.

If these are the troubles of seeking a wife
I'll never look after another!
But I will live single the rest of my life
And I will go home to my mother!
I will,
Yes I will,
So I will,
And I will go home to my mother
I will.