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Subject: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Harold Atkinson Date: 16 Jan 00 - 03:18 PM Greetings: There seems to be a verse or so missing just before the last verse of this old bawdy song (Check out the song in the Digitrad list) I'm wondering if anyone can help me track it down. It's still a good song, but I like these ballads to hang together as a story. Any help muchly appreciated. Harold Atkinson |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Liz the Squeak Date: 16 Jan 00 - 04:54 PM That is all that I have, it really does start with Oh say (or pray) gentle maiden. Unless that isn't the verse you are thinking of.... Funny thing about this song, Of the two great university cities, Oxford and Cambridge, neither will own up to writing it, Oxford say it was Cambridge and Cambridge say it was Oxford. What is certain is, that it came from one of those cities!! (Makes you wonder what else they write, it certainly isn't a thesis!) LTS |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Bugsy Date: 16 Jan 00 - 06:11 PM That's all I remember from the dark recesses of my old and addled brain too. CHeers Bugsy |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 16 Jan 00 - 07:57 PM Hangs together quite well as a story (if you'll forguive the language).
And I can't remember any other verses, and I can't see a need for any. I suppose you could have one with Sir Oswald coming home and seeing off the would-be-errant errant.
It used to be sung in Oxford Heritage Society (the university folk music society) back in the early 60s. I can't remember anyone claiming to have written it, but my impression was then that it was an Oxford song. Perhaps later generations got nervous about being taken to task for it. |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: johnp Date: 16 Jan 00 - 08:38 PM A slightly different version as sung in Rugby clubs(a version of football for those in US)Add nonny nonnies etc I am unaware of missing verses, perhaps the alt version may explain it O pray gentle maiden let me be your lover Condemn me no longer To mourn and to weep Struck down like a hart I lie bleeding and panting Let down your drawbridge I'll enter your keep enter etc Alas gentle errantI am not a maiden I'm married to Sir Oswald The cunning old Celt He's gone to the wars For twelve months or longer And taken the key To my chastity belt Fear not gentle maiden for I know a locksmith To his forge we will go On his door we will knock And try to avail us Of his specialised knowledge To unpick your lock Alas Sir and Madam To help I'm unable My technical knowledge It is of no avail I can't find the secret Of your combination The cunning old bastard Has fitted a yale I'm back from the wars With sad news of disaster A terrible mishap I have to confide As my ship was a-passing The Straits of Gibraltar I carelessly dropped the key Over the side Alas and alack, I am locked up for ever Then up steppthe pageboy Saying leave this to me If you will allow me To enter your chamber I'll open it up with me duplicate key |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,Penultimate verse Date: 07 Jun 19 - 09:27 AM Then back from the wars came the wicked Sir Oswald, With tales of disaster he had to confide, "As I was traversing the Straits of Gibraltar, I carelessly dropped your key over the side!" |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,Jerry Date: 07 Jun 19 - 04:54 PM There is a seventh verse, something cautionary about not wearing steel drawers, but I forget it now. The story needs a better punchline to finish on I’ve always felt. |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Gurney Date: 07 Jun 19 - 05:35 PM Oh say, gentle maiden, may I be your lover. Condemn me no longer to... Alas, gentle errant, I am not a maiden. I'm married to Sir Oswald,... Fear not, gentle lady, for I know a locksmith. To his forge we.... Alas, sir and madam, to help I am unable. My technical knowledge.... I'm back from the wars with dread news of disaster. a terrible .... Alas and alack! I am locked up forever! Then up spake a pageboy... Those are the six that I used to sing, 50something years ago. If the lost one is there, that might trigger a memory. Or just ask. Then there was the variant all sung in Spoonerisms...... |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Thomas Stern Date: 07 Jun 19 - 10:26 PM https://rec.music.filk.narkive.com/MY2xCETJ/chastity-belt-more-information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wait_a_Minim! https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1968/5/17/wait-a-minim-pbibf-there-is/ |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,Jerry Date: 08 Jun 19 - 06:09 AM This is the final verse that I’m aware of.... So all you young valets who seek satisfaction From other men’s ladies whilst they’re at the wars Remember to keep tucked away in your jock strap A key that is suited to stainless steel drawers. (A limp ending, in more ways than one probably.) |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Nigel Parsons Date: 10 Jun 19 - 03:44 PM I hadn't heard that additional verse, but it's a possibility. In line 1 should it be (as shown) 'valets', or possibly 'varlets'? |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Nigel Parsons Date: 10 Jun 19 - 03:47 PM Similarly, going back to a post in 2000: Alas Sir and Madam To help I'm unable My technical knowledge It is of no avail I can't find the secret Of your combination The cunning old bastard Has fitted a yale I've heard it as "secret of your combinations", being a double meaning of lock style, and underwear. |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Steve Gardham Date: 10 Jun 19 - 04:21 PM 'Twas just three months after, the hall filled with laughter, This lady gave birth to a beautiful child Lord Oswald astounded at the mirth that abounded, The lady just blushed and the pageboy just smiled. |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Steve Gardham Date: 10 Jun 19 - 04:35 PM Ye ladies take warning, ye lords make no scorning, Thy chastity belt it may work for a while, Where a duplicate key is one way to be free, Persistence may work with an old bastard file. |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,Jerry Date: 11 Jun 19 - 03:14 AM Yes, I meant varlets, and combinations is also as I remember it. |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,Spot Date: 11 Jun 19 - 03:32 AM Definitely 'combinations', this being a sort of pun on 'combinations' as underwear and the combination of a safe. And the word ideally should be sung with a mock folk style extra syllable for 'tions', sort of 'ay see ons', preferable with finger in ear. Try to do the different voices for the characters? |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,Spot Date: 11 Jun 19 - 04:19 AM Also we sang 'count' not 'bastard', it was nicely alliterative. The character was introduced as a 'cunning old celt' I have heard a mock stammer on the c before 'count' which hinted at a rather rude alternative with comic effect. I also heard the mock folk pronunciation on 'spess ee a lised knowledge'. In our version it was 'see if he's able to unpick your lock'. We never heard the extra verse but didn't miss it. Bound to be various versions though? |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Richard Mellish Date: 12 Jun 19 - 05:18 AM For what it's worth: I think I too encountered this song in Oxford in the 60s, a little later than McGrath of Harlow and from a friend who had only very recently moved there from London. Although folk songs in general don't have "right" or "wrong" versions, one word in the DT version is definitely wrong. "Struck down like a hawk" does not make sense. johnp's 16 Jan 00 - 08:38 PM wording "Struck down like a hart" is what I remember. In the line "The cunning old bastard has fitted a yale" I recall the singer hesitating at "ba..." as if going to sing "bastard" and then instead singing "baron". |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,Jerry Date: 12 Jun 19 - 08:17 AM Yes, quite. Since this is essentially a one joke song, most of the laughs would come from the hurried substitution of words where rude words were expected by the listener - like George Formby and musical hall songs before him, where the comedy is in the delivery rather than the narrative of the song. |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST Date: 13 Oct 19 - 10:06 AM I vaguely remember another verse, in the narrative gap before Sir Oswalds verse. The punchline was 'Entered Sir Oswald on a knackered old steet', followed by 'Knackered old stee! nonny, nonny' etc. Something like There was weeping and wailing and much lamentation On their knees they did pray, in their hour of need. Just at that moment back from his crusading Enters Sir Oswald on a knackered old steed. |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: BobL Date: 14 Oct 19 - 03:32 AM The extra verses don't seem to have survived the folk process though. "In matters of taste, the court of final appeal is Time, but we have to wait for its verdict." |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,Starship Date: 14 Oct 19 - 10:12 AM A humourous presentation of the song. https://genius.com/Wyldefyre-chastity-belt-lyrics |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: Jack Campin Date: 07 Oct 20 - 05:39 AM We now need an update. Internet-connected version |
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Subject: RE: Chastity Belt - Missing Verse From: GUEST,a cunning celt Date: 13 Sep 22 - 12:25 PM my storey is sad but it has a good ending the maiden was freed from her trouble and stress so all you old lords dont go on depending on yale locks for pageboys can still gain access |
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