Lyr ADD: Friendless Mary

Subject: Lyr Req: Friendless Mary
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 04:07 PM

Chris Lamb sang "Friendless Mary" at the Mudcat Singaround to day. He says it was collected by MacColl from travellers.

https://www.vwml.org/search?q=RN2580&collectionfilter=RoudFS;RoudBS&is=1

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Friendless Mary
From: Reinhard
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 05:03 PM

FRIENDLESS MARY

Far ael yon hoose whar heather grells
I met a lass wi her lambs and yews,
The lambs cam fresclin all the knell,
And the sun was shining clearly-O.

Says I, “My fair and comely dame,
Wud ye be sae kind as tell me your naim?
Or tell me the place ye call yar hame,
For your beauty shines so early-O.”

“D'ye see yon hoose a'hint the green?
This last six weeks I hunny been seen,
Ma mither she clost her twa black e'en,
Sayin', ‘Fair thee weel my Mary-O.’

“D'ye see yon hoose a'hint that tree?
When I was born me faither he dee,
Me mither was left tae be ma guid
And she ca'ed me Friendless Mary-O.”

“If ye'll consent tae cum wi me,
And be my bride across the sea,
A braw' guid man I'll be tae ye
And ye'll be na mair Friendless Mary-O.”

“I'll consent tae gang wi ye,
And be a bride across the sea,
A braw guid wife I'll be tae thee
And I'll be na mair Friendless Mary-O.”

Sung by Ewan MacColl on his 1960 Folkways album with Peggy Seeger, Popular Scottish Songs, and included in the same year in their book The Singing Island. He noted:

The beautiful air of this song is frequently found married to traditional ballad texts. It was a favourite with Mrs. Margaret Logan of Corsham, Wiltshire, from whom I learnt it. In the course of the same afternoon she used it to carry the somewhat humdrum text of Friendless Mary as well as the traditional ballad of The Cruel Mother.

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Friendless Mary
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 05:11 PM

Dang. I searched Mainly Norfolk for the lyrics, and didn't find them. Here they are: https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/friendlessmary.html

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Friendless Mary
From: Reinhard
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 05:12 PM

Joe, I added the lyrics just a few minutes ago ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Friendless Mary
From: Reinhard
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 05:34 PM

I copied the lyrics above from the booklet of the Folkways album Popular Scottish Songs but they have quite a few poor transcriptions. After listening to MacColl's singing and comparing the lyrics in The Singing Island, this is more of what he actually sang:

FRIENDLESS MARY

Far o'er yon hills where heather grows
I met a lass wi' her lambs and yowes,
The lambs came frisk-lin' o'er the knowes,
And the sun was shining clearly-O.

Says I, “My fair and comely dame,
Would ye be sae kind as tell me your name?
Or tell me the place ye ca' your hame,
For your beauty shines sae early-O.”

“D'ye see yon hoose ahint the green?
This last six weeks I hunny been seen,
Ma mither she clost her twa black e'en,
Sayin', ‘Fair ye weel my Mary-O.’

“D'ye see yon hoose ahint the tree?
When I was born me faither he deed,
Ma mither was left tae be ma guide
And she ca'ed me Friendless Mary-O.”

“If ye'll consent tae come wi me,
And be my bride across the sea,
A braw guid man I'll be tae ye
And ye'll be nae mair Friendless Mary-O.”

“I'll consent tae gang wi ye,
And be a bride across the sea,
A braw guid wife I'll be tae thee
And I'll be nae mair Friendless Mary-O.”

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: Friendless Mary
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Apr 23 - 06:05 PM

Thank you very much, Reinhard. Seeger & MacColl have that song in their book "Singing Island," but I don't have that book.
-Joe-