Lyr Req: John Hamilton

Subject: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 07 Nov 97 - 05:23 AM

I'm looking for the lyrics to a song starting "John Hamilton waged...", supposedly from the Greig collection.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: Steve D.
Date: 07 Nov 97 - 09:37 AM

Martin Carthy sings it on the first Waterson:Carthy album. I don't know the lyrics off the top of my head, but if noone else does I can write them down

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: Wolfgang
Date: 12 Nov 97 - 07:52 AM

I'd love to have them, Steve. Wolfgang

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: Wolfgang
Date: 04 Dec 98 - 07:27 AM

I refresh this to give it another try after one year.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 01 Jun 99 - 06:59 AM

OI!!! Steve D! What happened? I was about to post a request for these lyrics, but dutifully did a forum search...

Can anybody help Wolfgang and I?

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 07:17 AM

Please?

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 07:18 AM

Just a thought - I know Eliza Carthy sometimes looks at these threads... Can you ask your dad nicely to post these lyrics, or let us know the source?

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHN HAMILTON^^
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 02 Jun 99 - 06:50 PM

Why on earth are men so [e. d.] impatient? Anyway, you got me off my backside and over to the CD player, and these are the no doubt rather deficient results. Any corrections gratefully accepted! - Susanne

Chorus:
He sang, Tay-i-adelty, tay-i-adelty tum
Still he sang, eeti-fi-adelty, tay-i-adelty tum

John Hamilton waged a wager for a hundred guineas and ten
He would go down London city and never speak but sing ?

Policemen came running and shouting, A madman's coming along
But we shall see who he is and we'll soon put an end to his song

They took him before the justice to see who he could be
He sang eeti-fi-adelty, on with his singing went he

They gave him some pens and paper to see if he would write
And he sang eeti-fi-adelty, on with his singing all night

Come running the justice's daughter, a beautiful woman was she
Saw John Hamilton singing and on him she cast her eye

Daddy go open the chamber and let the young gentleman in
See that you use him genteelly and give him a bottle of wine

John Hamilton put his hand in his pocket, he made a shilling to fly
Gave a gold ring to the lady and on with his singing went he

John Hamilton won him a wager for a hundred guineas and ten
Went out with the justice's daughter and that put an end to his song

She loved him for crackling his fingers, she loved him for singing a song
Loved him for tay-i-adelty, eeti-fi-adelty tum

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 03 Jun 99 - 03:39 AM

Well Susanne, by my calculation, (using the INTCK() function in SAS v6.12), Wolfgang originally posted his request 572 days ago. That's 82 weeks. Or about 19 months.

Thank you very much for transcribing that. I just find Martin Carthy almost undecipherable. I assume that your native tongue is German, maybe that's why you can make out the words easier (because you don't assume any context? any linguists out there?)

Thanks again

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Jun 99 - 04:53 AM

Susanne,
thanks a lot. I wouldn't have tried to transcribe this song.

Dai,
thanks for joining my request. I'm not so sure that not knowing the context helps in transcribing. My attempts are getting better the more I know about the history and the people of the respective countries. As for impatience, look at the delay between your request posts, especially the last two. You don't need any other calculator except the one between your ears to find a delay time somewhat shorter than months or weeks (grin!)

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 03 Jun 99 - 07:35 AM

Yeah, that was just a case of premature ebuttonation.

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Jun 99 - 07:39 AM

I'll check my Webster's on "ebuttonation". Stop, don't explain, I'm already laughing!

Subject: RE: John Hamilton Lyr. req.
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 04 Jun 99 - 07:36 AM

I've put my version, based of course on Susanne's (thank you!!! ... and Wolfgang) here:

hum2mac1.murdoch.edu.au/watersons/johnh.html

Garry