Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggoner

Subject: Jolly Waggonner
From: GUEST,Big Malc
Date: 08 Jul 00 - 12:24 AM

Hi, I am trying to find 'The Jolly Waggonner' a song about the joys of the open road in a horse and cart.

Chorus: Sing Wo me lads sing Wo Ride on me lads ride on Who wouldn't be for all the world a jolly waggonner

Any help appreciated

Subject: Lyr Add: THE JOLLY WAGGONERS^^
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Jul 00 - 07:34 AM

The following is from Garry Gillard's Watersons Page, which, IMO, is incredibly well done and a great resource. Maybe someone can help with the "(?)" in the last verse? (Is spelling it "waggoner" instead of "wagoner" a UK thing? An old way of spelling? Just mis-spelling? I'm not being difficult, just curious.)

THE JOLLY WAGGONERS (see corrections below)

When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go
Well it filled my poor old parents' hearts with sorrow grief and woe
And many are the hardships that since I've undergone

chorus
Sing woe my lads sing woe drive on my lads drive on
Who wouldn't be for all the world a jolly waggoner

When it's belting down with rain my lads I get wetted to the skin
But I bear it with contented heart until I reach the inn
And I sit down a drinking with the landlord and his kin

chorus

Well things is greatly altered now and wagons few are seen
The world's turned topsy-turvy lads and things are run be steam
And the whole world passes before me just like a morning dream

chorus

Ay things is greatly altered now but then what can us do
The folks in power all take no heed to the likes of me and you
It's hardship for us workmen lads and a fortune for the few

chorus

Well Martinmas is coming lads what pleasures we shall see
Like calf before the winds (?) my lads we'll make our money flee
And every lad shall take his lass and he'll have her on his knee

chorus^^

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 08 Jul 00 - 10:50 AM

That would be "Like chaff before the wind".  It certainly sounds like "caff" or "calf" on the recording, so I checked with another version (in Roy Palmer's English Country Songs) so as to be sure.  I'd be inclined to "whoa" rather than "woe", since horses are involved.  "Waggon(er)" is an alternative spelling, not used so much nowadays though still current.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: GUEST,BIG Malc
Date: 08 Jul 00 - 07:10 PM

Many thanks to you both..... what a small world we live in

Lyrics next day... marvellous thanks again!!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: phil jl
Date: 09 Jul 00 - 06:43 PM

The words to the last verse that I recall are:

Well Martinmas is coming lads and soon we'll have a spree
We'll go down to the ale house and we'll set our money free
And every lad shall have his lass and he'll have her on his knee

When ever my family get together this song is invariably sung – we even recorded it (along with 10 or so other favorites) for my father on his 75th birthday a few years ago.

None of us have experienced the life of a waggoner – it's just a great song.

Phil^^

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Stewie
Date: 09 Jul 00 - 07:08 PM

As Malcolm said, it sounds like he's singing 'calf' in the last stanza, but surely it must mean 'chaff' which, according to definition 5 in the Maquarie Dictionary, is also a colloquial term for 'money'.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 10 Jul 00 - 10:37 PM

This is an exhilarating moment for me: the first discussion in the Mudcat Cafe of one of my several hundred transcriptions.

Thanks VERY much to Jeri for your kind remarks. I'm glad you like it: it represents many hours days weeks and months of my life.

Thanks to Malcolm Douglas for your comments. I remember thinking about "woe" (which is in the first stanza) and "whoa" (which is contradicted by the rest of the line). I rather like BigMalc's suggestion of "wo", actually, but I've followed the erudite MD and put "whoa".

As for "waggon": the COED prefers "wagon", but I've followed Topic's editor, out of respect.

cheers, Garry

Jolly Waggoners

---

Jolly Waggoners

When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go
Well it filled my poor old parents' hearts with sorrow grief and woe
And many are the hardships that since I've undergone.

Chorus (after each verse):

Sing whoa my lads, sing whoa, drive on my lads, drive on
Who wouldn't be for all the world a jolly waggoner.

When it's belting down with rain, my lads, I get wetted to the skin
But I bear it with contented heart until I reach the inn
And I sit down a drinking with the landlord and his kin.

Well, things is greatly altered now and waggons few are seen
The world's turned topsy-turvy, lads, and things are run be steam
And the whole world passes before me just like a morning dream.

Ay, things is greatly altered now but then what can us do
The folks in power all take no heed to the likes of me and you
It's hardship for us workmen, lads, and a fortune for the few.

Well, Martinmas is coming, lads, what pleasures we shall see
Like chaff before the winds, my lads, we'll make our money flee
And every lad shall take his lass and he'll have her on his knee.

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Garry Gillard. Corrections following discussion in the Mudcat Café.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Jul 00 - 12:09 AM

And thanks to you, Garry, for your sterling work.

All the best

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From:
Date: 11 Jul 00 - 04:50 PM

Garry Gillard, who I help occasionally with transcription - particularly in relation to my native north Yorkshire dialect - has alerted me to this thread. The disputed word in the last verse is definitely "chaff", but Mike Waterson uses the north and east Yorkshire pronunciation "kaff".

Steve Willis [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Goose Gander
Date: 07 Jan 10 - 12:14 AM

THE JOLLY WAGGONER

When first I went a-waggoning, a-wagging did go
I filled my parents hearts with grief, with sorrow, care and woe
And many are the hardships that I have since gone through

Sing woah, sing woah
Drive on, my lads, hi ho
Who wouldn't lead a life like we jolly waggoners do?

Now winter is a-coming on, much hardship it will bring
We'll jog along our weary way until we reach the inn
We'll sit down by the old inn fire with landlord and his kin

Sing woah . . .

Now springtime is a-coming on, how pleasant it will be
The songbirds sing so loud and clear from every greenwood tree
And every lad will take a lass and jog her on his knee

Sing woah . . .

Now summer is a coming on, we'll pleasure also find
We'll make the gold to fly, my boys, like chaff before the wind
And then return back home again to wife and children kind

Sing woah . . .

From the singing of Walter Pardon, from 'A World Without Horses' CD (Topic Records).

Subject: RE: Jolly Waggonner
From: Artful Codger
Date: 07 Jan 10 - 02:21 AM

Can someone post the words as given in Palmer's English Country Songs? Or did he get them from the Watersons or Walter Pardon?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: GUEST,Reinhard
Date: 07 Jan 10 - 02:31 AM

According to folkinfo.org, Roy Palmer's words are

When first I was a wagg'ner
And a wagg'ner I did go,
I filled my parents' hearts
Full of sorrow, grief and woe;
I filled my parents' hearts
Full of sorrow, grief and woe.

Chorus:
So sing, whoa, my lads, sing whoa
Drive on, my lads, heigh-o;
There is none can lead a life
Like we jolly wagg'ners do
So sing, whoa, my lads, sing whoa
Drive on, my lads, heigh-o;
There is none can lead a life
Like we jolly wagg'ners do


It's a cold and stormy night,
I was wet unto the skin;
I'll bear it with contentment
Till we get to the inn
And then we'll get a drink
With our landlord and our friends.

Now summer time is coming, boys,
What pleasure we should see
The small birds are a-whistling
On every green tree.
The backbirds and the thrushes O
Are whistling in the grove.

Now Michaelmas is coming, boys,
What pleasure we shallfind,
We'll make the gold and silver fly
Like chaff before the wind
Then every lad shall take his lass
And set her on his knee.

Source: Everyman's Book of English Country Songs, Ed Roy Plamer, ISBN 0-460-12048-1

Notes:
Roy Palmer altered the words of the first verse. "In verse 1, line 1 'when' has been substituted for 'oh' and in the last line of the same verse 'none' for 'more'"

Collected from Mr Rose, landlord of Bridge Inn, Acle Norfolk, 14.4.1908 by Ralph Vaughan Williams, MS I 34(2)

Roud: 1088 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child:

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Artful Codger
Date: 07 Jan 10 - 03:24 AM

Thanks, Reinhard!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Goose Gander
Date: 07 Jan 10 - 04:05 PM

Just for fun, here's the Jolly Waggoner performed by the Young 'Uns at the Sedgfield Cricket Club.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Joe Nicholson
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 10:40 AM

Many were the hardships that I did undergo rhymes with filled me poor old parents hearts with sorrow grief and woe. That's how I seemed to have heard it.

Joe Nicholson

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Goose Gander
Date: 08 Jan 10 - 10:49 AM

Looks like there's just one version from tradition in North America, sung by Petey Lease and collected by Henry Shoemaker in Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania (1931) pp.309-310. Does anyone have access to that one?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE JOLLY WAGGONER
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 02:45 PM

From Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England by Robert Bell (London: John W. Parker and Son, 1857), page 208:


THE JOLLY WAGGONER.

(This country song can be traced back a century at least, but is, no doubt, much older. It is very popular in the West of England. The words are spirited and characteristic. We may, perhaps, refer the song to the days of transition, when the waggon displaced the packhorse.)

1. When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go,
I filled my parents' hearts full of sorrow, grief, and woe,
And many are the hardships that I have since gone through.

CHORUS: And sing wo, my lads, sing wo!
Drive on my lads, I-ho!
And who wouldn't lead the life of a jolly waggoner?

2. It is a cold and stormy night, and I'm wet to the skin.
I will bear it with contentment till I get unto the inn,
And then I'll get a-drinking with the landlord and his kin.

3. Now summer it is coming. What pleasure we shall see!
The small birds are a-singing on every green tree.
The blackbirds and the thrushes are a-whistling merrilie.

4. Now Michaelmas is coming. What pleasure we shall find!
It will make the gold to fly, my boys, like chaff before the wind,
And every lad shall take his lass, so loving and so kind.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: Goose Gander
Date: 09 Jan 10 - 05:40 PM

Thanks, Jim.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: GUEST,Pete Foster
Date: 29 Nov 12 - 03:01 PM

At a folk night I went to in the sixties, the Cartford Hotel near Blackpool, the last verse was sung as:

But whitsuntide is comming we'll go out on the spree
With liquor and strong ale, we'll make our money flee
And every lad shall take his lass and have her on his knee

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner
From: GUEST,Terry Hobday.
Date: 02 Feb 14 - 07:11 AM

I should think it would be 'chaff' before the wind.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggoner
From: JenBurdoo
Date: 03 Apr 16 - 11:33 PM

Does anyone have the chords to this one?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggoner
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Apr 16 - 04:46 AM

THE JOLLY WAGGONER
      C                         G             C
When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go,
                                 G                C
I filled my parents' hearts with sorrow, grief and woe,
    F            C             F            G
And many are the hardsips that we must undergo,
         C
And sing woa! My lads, sing woa!
      F
Drive on, my lads, I, o!
C                            G            C
And who can lead a life like the jolly waggoners do?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggoner
From: JenBurdoo
Date: 04 Apr 16 - 09:47 AM

Thanks! Very workable! (Goes off to practice)