ADD: Lincolnshire Wedding Song/Get a Little Table

Subject: Wedding song/Get a Little Table
From: wildlone
Date: 09 Jan 00 - 12:31 PM

This is a song that is popular at the Yetties Music Night

THE WEDDING SONG

Some people think its jolly for to lead a single life,
But I believe in marriage and the comforts of a wife.
In fact you might have quarrels, just an odd one now and then,
It's worth your while a-falling out to make it up again.

(Chorus)
So get a little table, and get a little chair,
Then a little house in the corner of the square.
Get a little teapot and save a little tin,
And don't forget a cradle for to rock the baby in.

A married man has comforts where a single man has not,
His clothes are always mended and his food is always hot.
No matter what your troubles are your wife will pull you through,
So if you want to marry boys, this is what you do:

A single man in lodgings can't have very much delight,
There's no one to talk to him when he sits at home at night,
Nothing to attract him or pass the time away,
You'll quickly find the difference if you listen to what I say,

It's little use of asking a girl to marry you
Unless you've got a little corner of the table too.
For a good wife loves to see you cosy, warm and nice,
So if you wish to marry boys, here is my advice

Traditional
Recorded on:
Cassette Top of the Crops -YETC3005
Ah! Those were the days. The modern version would go something like this:
Get a monster mortgage, get a video,
Fill the flat with gadgets, don't matter what we owe.
Get a couple children and get a double bed,
Then sometime in the future we might perhaps get wed.
Bonny Sartin.

Subject: Lyr Req:Get a little table
From: GUEST,PKD on Teesside
Date: 01 Feb 01 - 07:42 AM

Can anyone help with the words of a song with the chorus "Get a little table, and a little chair, and buy a tiny house in a tiny square, Get a little wife, and save a little tin, and don't forget the cradle for to rock the baby in"

Cheers

Paul

Subject: RE: Lyr Req:Get a little table
From: Long Firm Freddie (at work)
Date: 01 Feb 01 - 07:55 AM

I think I've got this at home in a Yetties song book. I'll check tonight.

LFF

Subject: RE: Lyr Req:Get a little table
From: Wolfgang
Date: 01 Feb 01 - 09:44 AM

Isn't one of the titles 'Don't forget the cradle'? I'm quite confident I have the lyrics, but I am not sure under which title I have filed them. I'll have a look.

Wolfgang

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WEDDING SONG
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 01 Feb 01 - 04:12 PM

THE WEDDING SONG

Some people think it's jolly for to lead a single life
But I believe in marriage and the comfort of a wife
In fact you mightt have quarrels, just the odd one now and then,
It's worth your while a-falling out to make it up again

Chorus

So get a little table, and get a little chair,
Then a little house in the corner of the square
Get a little teapot and save a little tin,
And don't forget a cradle for to rock the baby in

A married man has comforts where a single man has not,
His clothes are always mended and his food is always hot
No matter what your troubles are your wife will pull you through,
So if you want to marry boys, this is what you do

A single man in lodgings can't have very much delight,
There's no one to talk to him when he sits at home at night
Nothing to attract him or pass the time away,
You'll quickly find the difference if you listen to what I say

It's little use of asking a girl to marry you
Unless you've got a little corner of the table too
For a good wife loves to see you cosy, warm and nice,
So if you wish to marry boys, here is my advice

The Yetties suggest a modern verse:

Get a monster mortgage, get a video
Fill the flat with gadgets, don't matter what we owe
Get a couple children and get a double bed
Then sometime in the future we might perhaps get wed

They admit to getting cynical in their old age!

LFF

Subject: RE: Lyr Req:Get a little table
From: Wolfgang
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 03:24 AM

Freddie,
you've saved me the typing. I have it filed under 'Lincolnshire wedding song' and under 'Don't forget the cradle'. Of course, my version is different, but it is close enough. I know it from the LP 12TS228 The Moon Shone Bright, The Broadside, who sing it titled 'Lincolnshire wedding song'.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req:Get a little table
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:31 AM

I've got that same LP Wolfgang. What a fantastic job Topic did in those days. Know anything about The Broadside?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req:Get a little table
From: Wolfgang
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 05:52 AM

Yes, Fionn, they did a fantastic job then and they still do a very good job now. I don't know more about The Braodside than the information on the record cover. But I might have another LP by them (I'll have a look tonight).

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req:Get a little table
From: GUEST,PKD on Teesside
Date: 02 Feb 01 - 08:09 AM

Cheers guys!

I think it is from the Lincolnshire area, I seem to remember quite a few people in that area singing the song.

Paul

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lincolnshire Wedding Song
From: GUEST,John Gallagher
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 02:46 PM

My Mum, who died 3 years ago, always used to sing this at weddings. Our fmily have searced high and low for this, and we are delighted to have found the lyrics on this site. Would anyone who has a recording of any version be prepared to make an mp3 file and send it to me?
regards John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lincolnshire Wedding Song
From: Rozza
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 06:10 PM

Collected by the late Mo. Ogg from Mrs Robinson of Winteringham, published in English Dance and Song, Volume 43, Number 2, page 8, (1981)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lincolnshire Wedding Song
From: r.padgett
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 04:07 AM

Yes I have it from The Broadside band and nearly made my recent CD!

Broadside band included John Conolly and Brian Dawson of course

I still sing it occasionally

Ray

Subject: ADD Version: Lancashire Wedding Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 03:18 AM

Anybody have lyrics for this song from early sources?

My friends (Dick) Holdstock and (Allan) MacLeod recorded this as "Lancashire Wedding Song":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5SJulH9zKw

(may not play in UK)

Here are the lyrics from their CD booklet:

LANCASHIRE WEDDING SONG

Some people think it's jolly to lead a single life
But I believe in marriage and the comforts of a wife
A wife’s the greatest blessing, if she’s honest, brave, and true
So if you want to marry lads I’ll tell you what to do

CHORUS
Get a little table and a little chair
Then a tiny house in a tiny square
Get a little wife and a little tin
And don’t forget the cradle, for to rock the baby in.

Now a single man in lodgings can’t have much delight
For there’s no one to speak to him when he sits alone at night
Nothing to attract him and to pass the time away
For to quickly find the difference if he listens to what I say

Now a married man has comforts that a single man has not
For his clothes are always mended and his meals are always hot
At first they may have quarrels, just the odd one now and then
But it’s hardly worthwhile falling out, for they make it up again

Now it’s little use in asking a girl to marry you
Unless you have a little house and a room to take her to
For a good wife likes to see a house cozy, clean, and nice
So if you want to marry, lads, just take my advice

http://www.dickholdstock.com/lyrics/WinterInTheWoodLyrics.pdf

Subject: ADD Version: Get a Little Table
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 03:31 AM

GET A LITTLE TABLE

Some people say it's jolly
To lead a single life,
But I believe in marriage
And the comforts of a wife,
A wife's the greatest blessing
If she's honest, good and true,
So if you want to marry, boys,
I'll tell you what to do:

Chorus.
Get a little table, get a little chair;
Get a tiny little house in a little square;
Get a little wife, then get a little " tin,"
Get a little cradle just to rock the baby in.

A single man in lodgings
Cannot have much delight,
There's nobody to speak to
When he sits at home at night;
There's nothing to attract him,
Or pass the time away,
He'd quickly find the difference
If he'd list to what I say-and- Chorus.

A married man has comforts
Which a single man has not,
His clothes are all well mended,
And his meals are always hot;
Of course they may have quarrels,
Just an odd one now and then,
It's almost worth while falling out
To make it up again.-Chorus.

There's little use in asking
A girl to marry you,
Unless you have a little coin,
And a home to take her to;
A good wife loves to see her home
Look cosy, clean and nice,
So if you would be happy, boys,
Why just take my advice:-Chorus.

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/songster/04-get-a-little-table.htm - this Website does not cite its sources.

Subject: ADD: Buy a Little Table
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 03:39 AM

Oh, here's a broadside at the Library of Congress:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/amss.as115410.0/?st=text

BUY A LITTLE TABLE

SOME people say it's jolly,
To lead a single life,
But I believe in marriage and
The comforts of a wife;
A wife's the greatest blessing, if
She's honest, good and true,
So if you want to marry boys,
I'll tell you what to do:

CHORUS
Get a little table, get a little chair,
Get a tiny house in a little square,
Get a little wife then get a little tin,
Get a little cradle just to rock the baby in.

A single man in lodgings,
Cannot have much delight,
There's nobody to speak to when
He sits at home at night,
There's nothing to attract him, or
To pass the time away,
He'd quickly find the difference, if
He'd list to what I say—and:

A married man has comforts which,
A single man has not,
His clothes are well mended, and
His meals are always hot;
Of course they may have quarrels just
An odd one now and then.
It's almost worth while falling out,
To make it up again:

There's little use of asking
A girl to marry you,
Unless you have a little coin.
And a home to take her too;
A good wife loves to see her home
Cosy clean and nice,
So if you would be happy boys,
Why just take my advice:



H. P. Such, Machine printer and Publisher, 177, Union Street, Borough, S. E - no date shown

Subject: RE: ADD: Lincolnshire Wedding Song/Get a Little Table
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 03:43 AM

One more, from: http://www.folknow.com/fellowship/nlanff-info/nlanff-encore-info.htm

Due to having only fragments of this song at my disposal at the time of recording, my version meshes with fragments of another song with a similar motif. I might have taken an alternate approach had I been in a position to conduct the following research earlier.

Like many of the songs to be found in the National Library collected by Meredith, Connor and others, this song has the bounce of songs that have originated from Music Hall but if so, has perhaps passed more successfully into the folk tradition.
As a folk song it is known under a number of titles including 'Wedding Song', 'Lincolnshire Wedding Song', Get a Little Table, and The Comfort of a Wife.
There are a number of collected versions, generally from Lincolnshire, including one, according the 'Mudcat' internet site from a Mrs Robinson of Winteringham, published in English Dance and Song, Volume 43, Number 2, page 8, (1981) and another collected by Fred Hamer from Luther Stanley of Lincolnshire and printed in Fred Hamer's book, 'Green Groves' on pp.78-79 which is referenced on the website for Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, in The Roud Folksong Index.

The Broadside Band version apparently includes the following lyrics:

THE WEDDING SONG

Some people think it's jolly for to lead a single life
But I believe in marriage and the comfort of a wife
In fact you mightt have quarrels, just the odd one now and then,
It's worth your while a-falling out to make it up again

Chorus

So get a little table, and get a little chair,
Then a little house in the corner of the square
Get a little teapot and save a little tin,
And don't forget a cradle for to rock the baby in

A married man has comforts where a single man has not,
His clothes are always mended and his food is always hot
No matter what your troubles are your wife will pull you through,
So if you want to marry boys, this is what you do

A single man in lodgings can't have very much delight,
There's no one to talk to him when he sits at home at night
Nothing to attract him or pass the time away,
You'll quickly find the difference if you listen to what I say

It's little use of asking a girl to marry you
Unless you've got a little corner of the table too
For a good wife loves to see you cosy, warm and nice,
So if you wish to marry boys, here is my advice

The Yetties suggest a modern verse:

Get a monster mortgage, get a video
Fill the flat with gadgets, don't matter what we owe
Get a couple children and get a double bed
Then sometime in the future we might perhaps get wed

This web site has been created by Graham Dodsworth
as part of the objectives of the National Library Folk Festival Fellowship
awarded by The National Library of Australia and The National Folk Festival in 2004

Subject: RE: ADD: Lincolnshire Wedding Song/Get a Little Table
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 03:48 AM

I've also heard it described as 'The Yorkshire Wedding Song'.

Subject: RE: ADD: Lincolnshire Wedding Song/Get a Little Table
From: r.padgett
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 03:53 AM

The Lancastrians will pinch anything of course ~ but then Lincolnshire

version simply changed the title too!

Good research Joe

Ray

Subject: RE: ADD: Lincolnshire Wedding Song/Get a Little Table
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 10:55 AM

It's a Harry Linn song from 1882, written and sung by him.

Harry's most famous song was 'Jim the Carter Lad'.

Some others of his are:
The fattest Man in the Forty-Twa
When the Cock begins to Crow
You never miss the Water till the well runs dry.

He seems to have dabbled much in motto songs probably hanging on the coat-tails of Harry Clifton.

There's another broadside on the Bodl at Harding B20 (24)

Broadside titles seem to be 'Buy a Little Table' but in Kilgarriff it's 'Get a Little Table'.