Lyr Req: An Acre of Land

Subject: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Louis Lee
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 11:05 PM

Could you please found the lyric of the song An Acre of Land?

Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 11:07 PM

In the database,,,,,, click here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 11:22 PM

Child (#46) in DT is wrong, see many other versions as #2

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 11:43 PM

Here is my transcription of what John Kirkpatrick sings on Brass Monkey's Sound and Rumour.

Garry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 12:59 AM

Just to expand for a moment on Bruce's comment, An Acre of Land belongs to the Elfin Knight family of songs, which professor Child assigned his number #2, so a search made through the "Digitrad and Forum Search" on the main Forum page for child #2 would return quite a few examples.  The one Sorcha pointed to has been wrongly assigned to number #46; for mysterious reasons, some people seem unable to distinguish between a series of "impossible" tasks (#2) and a series of "impossible" riddles (#46, "Captain Wedderburn's Courtship").  That's by the by, of course.  The best-known version of "An Acre of Land" is probably the one from the repertoire of the Copper family of Rottingdean in Sussex, which Garry also has on his website, here:  Heigh Ho Sing Ivy

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 01:19 AM

Anthing else that should be added or corrected on that version when I send in a correction, Malcolm?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 01:38 AM

I collected a neat Adirondack version that is included on Lawrence Older's Folk-Legacy cassette of Adirondack songs and ballads. It's titled there as "Flim-a-lim-a-lee," from the refrain. Also, you should check the Max Hunter Ozark collection (see Mudcat links). Caroline and I learned a version from Max back in 1962, but his source singer is probably included on the Max Hunter Collection web site.

I'm pretty sure that Margaret MacArthur recorded a New England version ("Blow, blow, blow ye winds, blow") on one of her early records. Check Jane Keefer's Folksong Index. Printed sources are fine, but ballads, unlike children, should be heard and not seen. (That's a quote from Barry Tolkien.)

Sandy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 10:46 AM

There's one version at the Max Hunter collection at present; a Scarborough Fair rather than Sing Ivy type, though: Rosemary and thyme  As sung by Mrs. Allie Long Parker in Eureka Springs, AR on April 14, 1958.

"Some people" wasn't intended as a dig at John; the same confusion between #2 and #46 seems to come up quite often from various people.  So far as the DT text is concerned, it looks as if Vaughan Williams made a few editorial changes when he arranged the song for formal performance: in verses 2 and 3, Frank Bailey actually sang "my ram's horn", thimble, etc. and, more importantly, the first part of the refrain was "There goes this ivery" when Bailey sang it, not "Ivy, sing ivery".  (Information from Bushes and Briars: Folk Songs Collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams, ed. Roy Palmer, 1983 & 1999).

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 02:13 PM

Sandy, did you ever track down Older's version of "Gypsie Laddie" (he sang it at an FWGW concert many years ago)? I had gotten it practically the same from my late ex mother-in-law about 1965. She said she had learned it from neighbourhood girls in Waukesha, Wisc. about 1910. It's a very distinctive version (sing-songy), and I think must have come from some late 19th century songbook.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 03:36 PM

Bruce: I recorded Lawrence Older's "Gypsy Davey" on his LP, now available only as a casseette, then used it again on the "Ballads and Songs of Tradition" CD as a contrast to Frank Proffitt's Appalachian version. I don't recall Lawrence singing a "Gypsy Laddie" version. Am I forgetting something?

Malcolm: the Allie Long Parker version of Child #2 is the one Caroline and I learned. Max had recorded it with the Kansas folksinger/collector (Ann Grimes? -- my memory is lousy!) on an LP that apparently had very limited circulation, but we felt we ought to focus on previously unrecorded material when we made our recording of Max, so we didn't tape it again. I wish now that we had. Failing that, I should have recorded Allie Long Parker singing it when we visited with her in 1962. Got down a number of her songs, but forgot to ask for that one.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 10:42 AM

Sorry Sandy, I was careless with the title.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 03:42 PM

Actually, Bruce, Frank Proffitt did know two versions of the ballad -- the "Gyps of David" version that he learned from his aunt, Nancy Prather, and the more common "Black Jack Davey" that he learned from other folk in his Appalachian community. I think Lawrence had only the one version, using the "Rattle lattle lingo lingo ling" chorus. Is that the one you say resembles the Wisconsin version your ex-mother-in-law sang? It's a fun one to sing.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: oggie
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 11:57 AM

There's a Lincolnshire version which was recorded (I think) by Percy Grainger which has the chorus lines 'Sing O, sing ay, sing Isy', 'and a bunch of the bonny green ivy'.

I'll try and dig the rest of it up - Brian Dawson, local expert on Lincolnshire songs and traditions, sings a killer version.

All the best

Steve

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Bruce P.
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 04:15 PM

I've even see "Gypsum Davey".

My late ex mother-in-law's started "Once where was a very rich (or high born) lord , who married a very rich lady". Then chorus: Raddle daddle dingo, dingo ding, Raddle daddle dingo, Davie , etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 06:31 PM

That chorus is quite similar to the one sung by Lawrence Older, Bruce. Your memory is holding up very well!

I forgot to mention Sara Cleveland's fine version of Child #2 -- her title, based on the refrain, was "Every Rose Grows Merry in Time" which clearly relates to the "Savory, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" refrains found in other versions. Sara was an Irish grandmother living in Hudson Falls, New York, when we met her, but she soon moved up to live with her son's family in Brant Lake, NY. She had a huge repertoire of traditional songs from her Irish mother, a few from her Irish father and an uncle, and some from local friends, most of whom worked in the Adirondacks as loggers. Her Folk-Legacy LP is now available as only as a custom cassette.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 07:20 PM

Memory not so good. I (reel) taped the song (and her "Mermaid"), about 1964, but have lost it. I memorized the whole song (not that I could ever sing), but have forgotten almost all of it now.

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: SCARBOROUGH FAIR
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 10:54 PM

Here's the oldest Scarborough version.

SCARBOROUGH FAIR

"Oh, where are you going?" "To Scarborough fair,"
    Savory sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Remember me to a lass that live there,
    For once she was a true lover of mine.

"And tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
    Savory sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Without any seam or needle work,
    And then she shall be a true love of mine.

"And tell her to wash it in yonder dry well;
    Savory sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Where no water sprung, nor a drop of rain fell,
    And then she shall be a true love of mine.

"Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn,
    Savory sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born,
    And then she shall be a true love of mine.

"O, will you find me an acre of land,
    Savory sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Between the sea foam, the sea sand,
    And then she shall be a true love of mine.

"O, will you plough if with a ram's horn,
    Savory sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And sow it all over with one peppercorn,
    Or never be a true lover of mine.

"O, will you reap it with a sickle of leather,
    Savory sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And tie it all up with a peacock's feather,
    Or never be a true lover of mine.

"And when you have done and finished your work,
    Savory sage, rosemary, and thyme;
You may come to me for your cambric shirt,
    And then you shall be a true love of mine.

X:1
T:Scarborough Fair
S:Kidson's 'Traditional Tunes', p. 43-4, 1891
L:1/4
M:3/4
J:1#
K:G
D|GGG|(AB)c|d2d|A3|\
BBB|(cB)A|GGE|D2D|G2G|\
ABc|ddd|A2B|c2c|(cB)A|DGG|G2|]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Mar 01 - 11:41 PM

Just by way of a footnote, Kidson said "The present copy, including the tune, used to be sung by a ballad singer in Whitby [Yorkshire] twenty or thirty years ago [i.e. 1860s-70s] and is still remembered in the district."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 12:03 AM

Thanks Malcolm, I'd intended to include that but forgot. That HTML markup and proof reading tunes is good at getting one distracted.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 12:18 AM

Malcolm, you're needed on Ballad-L. I think someone is now heading for Broughton House, Kirkcudbright to see what else they can turn up from C. K. Sharpe. Glenbuchat ballads collection is nearly ready for publication, 4 vols. Jamie Moreira spent time hunting throught Laing's material in Edinburgh last summer to try and track Stenhouse's MSS (fruitlessly). (He hasn't said who principal editor is.) Stenhouses' Crokat MS went to C. K. Sharpe. "Young Craigston" was probably gotten by Sharpe from Stenhouse, or directly from the Rev. Scott's of Glenbuchat's collection. Jack Campin has found the long lost Crokat MS, c 1709, but has't told me yet where he found it (2 days afer request for confirmation of my guess has brought no reply).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 12:21 AM

Malcolm, I forgot to say it was your notes on Buchan's text of "Young Craigston" that lead to Broughton House. [But it may lead to nothing.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 01:44 AM

I signed up for Ballad-L a few days ago, and have been reading the current posts, but I'm afraid I can't add anything of help; all I did was quote a note from Buchan's "Book of Scottish Ballads" (1973); he referred to "...the Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe transcript at Broughton House, Kirkcudbright, of the MS. entitled in the Scott transcript "North Country Ballads"  He makes no further reference to it, beyond an acknowledgement to the (unnamed) Curator for the text of "Craigstoun": presumably it's still there, anyway.

Malcolm

Subject: Lyr Add: A YACRE OF LAND (trad. Yorkshire)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 11:14 PM

Lyr. Add: A YACRE OF LAND
(Child #2, coll. Yorkshire)

My father he left me a yacre of land,
Yacre of land, yacre of land,
My father he left me a yacre of land
On Christmas day in the morning.

I ploughed it with an old *stack plod,
Old stack plod, old stack plod,
I ploughed it with an old stack plod,
On Christmas day in the morning.

I harrowed it with a bunch of briars......

I sowed it with a peppercorn......

I reaped it with an old **tup's horn ......

I laid it on a bumble bee's back ......

I threshed it with a wimble*** straw ......

I flayed it with a butterfly's wing ......

I sold it all for one pound ten ......

* stack (or stock) plow. ** ram's horn. *** an instrument for boring in soft ground, an auger.

With music, p. 1, sung by Mr. Greenwood, The Duncombe Arms, Westerdale, Yorkshire, 13 July 1904.
Imogen Holst and Ursula Vaughan Williams, 1961, "A Yacre of Land, Sixteen Folk-Songs from the Manuscript Collection of Ralph Vaughan Williams." Oxford University Press, London.

Subject: Lyr Add: ROSEMARY AND THYME (trad. Ohio)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 09:49 PM

This one just says "town," but it is similar to Scarborough Fair.

Lyr. Add: ROSEMARY AND THYME

She
"When you go down to yonder town,
Rosemary and thyme,
Send my respects to that young man,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

"Go tell him to buy six acres of land
Between salt water and sea sand.

"Go tell him to plant six acres of corn
And harrow it with a mooley cow's horn.

"Go tell him to cut it with a sickle of leather,
And haul it in with a pea fowl's feather.

"Go tell him to thresh it against the wall,
And do not let one grain of it fall.

"Go tell him to take it to yonder mill,
And each kernel of corn shall one bag fill.

"Go tell him that when his work is done
To come to me with the kernel of corn."

He
"When you go down to yonder town,
Rosemary and thymee,
Send my respects to that young maid,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

"Go tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Without one stitch of needle work.

"Go tell her to wash it in yonder well
Where water never rose and rain never fell.

"Go tell her that when she has done her work,
To come to me with that cambric shirt."

Miss Annie Byers, Perryville, Ohio.
The Elfin Knight, A, with music, in Mary O. Eddy, 1939, "Ballads and Songs from Ohio," pp. 3-4.
A teasing, courting version of the song.

Subject: Lyr Add: AN ACRE OF LAND (trad. Hampshire)
From: Tradsinger
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 06:08 PM

There are 2 different but related songs here. One is the Scarborough Fair type and the other is the Acre of Land type. I always took the latter to be a sort of hand-me-down version of the former. Steve Roud's database surprisingly only lists about a dozen versions of the latter - I say surprisingly because I regard it as a fairly common song. I recorded 2 versions of it in Hampshire on consecutive days in the 70s. Here's one of them, the one that I sing:

My father he bought me an acre of land
Sing over and sing ivy
My father he bought me an acre of land
With a bunch of green holly and ivy

I ploughed up with a ram's horn, etc

I harrowed it with a bramble bush, etc

I sowed it down with some wild oats, etc

I cut it down with my little penknife, etc

I thrashed it out with tail of me shirt, etc

I sacked it up in a mouse's skin, etc

I tied it up with mouses' tails, etc

I sent it to market with a team of fat rats, etc

The thiller* came back with his back broke, etc


*leading horse of a team.

Charlie Hill of Dartmoor also knew a version of which I recorded one verse from him.

Enjoy

Gwilym

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 Nov 04 - 06:51 PM

Gwylym, a good little song. Do you remember the names of the Hampshire singers?

Garry Gillard and Malcolm Douglas both provide links which no longer work to versions of this (these) songs. If a version is worth noting, it should be posted in full.
The link to the Max Hunter collection can be updated, but the transcription by Gillard of the Kirkpatrick version will have to be redone by one who is interested. I think the version by the Copper Family may be found at another website, but I haven't looked for it yet.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Tradsinger
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 01:49 PM

Q,

One version was from Annie May Dodds of Steep, Petersfield and the other from George Privett of Shedfield, both now deceased. I recorded George's version on my CD:
http://www.forest-tracks.co.uk/folk_music_pages/folk_music_gwilymdavies.html

Gwilym

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Acre of Land
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 02:09 PM

Revised links:

Heigh Ho Sing Ivy (official Copper Family web site, formerly c/o Garry Gillard).

Garry's Waterson-Carthy material is now on Reinhard Zierke's website:

Brass Monkey: An Acre of Land

Brass Monkey's notes don't specify their source, but it may have been the set noted by George Gardiner from William Mason at Easton, near Winchester, in November 1906; with some verses changed a bit.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE CAMBRIC SHIRT (from Max Hunter)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 02:43 PM

Thanks, Tradsinger.
The song collected by Max Hunter, mentioned by Sandy Paton,with both audio and midi, is called "Rosemary and Thyme." Max Hunter

Lyr. Add: THE CAMBRIC SHIRT

Can you make me a cambric shirt
Fluma luma laky slomy
Without seam or fine needle work?
Ffom a teaslum tasalum templum
Fluma luma laky sloomy

Can you wash it in a well *
Where water never ran nor water never fell?

Can you dry it on a thorn
That never was seen since Adam was born?

Can you buy me an acre of land
Between the salt water and the sea land?

Can you plow it with a hog's horn
And seed it all down with one pepper corn?

When the fool has done his work
He may come to me and have his shirt.

* Nonsense lines of verse one omitted. Secured by Miss Hamilton in 1910 from Fred Wilkinson who got it from a MS collection made by his grandmother, Eliza Robbins, of Brownington, VT. H. M. Belden, "Ballads and Songs Collected by the Missouri Folk-Lore Society," 1940 (1973), The Elfin Knight C, p. 3.