Folksongs and Minstrelsy

Subject: folk song record set from the '60s
From:
Date: 15 Dec 97 - 10:35 PM

In the 60's I purchased an excellent set of early folk songs on, I think, 6 LP's. I seem to remember the name of the album as being "Folksongs & Minstrelsy". It was a lot like the Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music album, except it features more singers from the 40's and 50's -The Weavers, Leadbelly, Odetta, etc. My favorite song was a version of "The Unfortunate Man" where the man's wife takes off her wig, false teeth, false nose, false hip, etc. before getting into bed on their wedding night. Does anyone recognize the album and who might have published it? I'd like to find it on CD. I'd appreciate an e-mail from anyone with info.

Subject: folk song record set from the '60s
From:
Date: 15 Dec 97 - 10:37 PM

In the 60's I purchased an excellent set of early folk songs on, I think, 6 LP's. I seem to remember the name of the album as being "Folksongs & Minstrelsy". It was a lot like the Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music album, except it features more singers from the 40's and 50's -The Weavers, Leadbelly, Odetta, etc. My favorite song was a version of "The Unfortunate Man" where the man's wife takes off her wig, false teeth, false nose, false hip, etc. before getting into bed on their wedding night. Does anyone recognize the album and who might have published it? I'd like to find it on CD. I'd appreciate an e-mail from anyone with info.

Subject: Lyr Add: A PEERLESS PARAGON (excerpt)^^
From: Bruce O.
Date: 15 Dec 97 - 11:42 PM

Darned if I can remember the title or opening of the American version. It is mostly sung as a bluegrass song. I have a recording of an Irish version by the late Delia Murphy "A damsel of 19 years old". The loathly bride or mistress description is an old one. See "A peerlesse Paragon" in Roxburghe Ballads, II, p. 300, for a ballad of Nov. 1633, with a long list of her 'beauties'. A sample:

Her belly tun-like to behold-
No mopre shall be expresst,
But if the truth were plainely told.
I'm sure they are the best:
Her brawnie blind-cheeks plump and round,
As any horse of war;
Her speckled thighs they are not sound,
Her knees like hoggs-heads are.

Her shoulders are so camel-like,
Shee'd make an exccellent porter;
I vow I never knew her like,
If any man consort her.
No shoulder of mutton like her hand
For thickness, breadth, and fat;
With a scur\vy mange upon her wrest,
Oh Jove! how I love that!

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 15 Dec 97 - 11:54 PM

"The Old Maid and the Burglar" in DT is quite similar to the one you're looking for.

Subject: Lyr Add: VERY UNFORTUNATE MAN (Jimmy Driftwood)^^^
From: Ralph Butts
Date: 16 Dec 97 - 06:59 PM

Virginia......

"Folk Song and Minstrelsy" was a Vanguard recording from The Classics Record Library RL-7624 (Book-of-the-Month Club).

4 records in my set, the artists are:
Joan Baez
Leon Bibb
The Deller Consort
Jimmy Driftwood
Bob Gibson
Ronnie Gilbert
Cisco Houston
Ewan MacColl
Ed McCurdy
Tom Makem
Alan Mills
John Jacob Niles
Odetta
Pete Seeger
The Weavers

"The Unfortunate Man" was done by Jimmy Driftwood, here's the lyric. Good singing........Tiger

Very Unfortunate Man — Jimmy Driftwood

There was a lawyer, his name was Clay,
He had but two clients and they wouldn't pay.
At last, of starvation, he grew so afraid,
He courted and married a wealthy old maid.
At the wedding this lawyer made one big mistake,
'Twas not in omitting the wine or the cake,
The ring was well chosen, they had a big feed,
But the lawyer did not get a warranty deed.

CHORUS (each stanza)
He's a very unfortunate, very unfortunate, very unfortunate man.
He's a very unfortunate, very unfortunate, very unfortunate man.

At night in their chamber, this lady arose,
And began to prepare to retire and repose.
Her husband sat near her admiring her charms,
That gave him such pleasure to hold in his arms.
She went to the washstand to bathe her fair face,
And thus she destroyed all her beauty and grace.
The rose on her cheek quickly grew very faint,
And he saw on the towel, 'twas nothing but paint.

She went to the mirror to take down her hair,
And when she got done, her scalp was all bare.
Said she, "Don't be frightened to see my bald head,
I'll put on my cap when I get into bed."
She hung her false hair on the wall on a peg,
And then she proceeded to take off her leg.
Her trembling husband got quite a surprise,
When she asked him to come and take out her glass eye.

The husband stood watching, with trembling lips,
While she unfastened her counterfeit hips;
Just then her false nose clattered down on the floor,
And the poor lawyer, screaming, ran out of the door.
Now all you young men who would marry for life,
Be sure to examine your intended wife.
Remember the lawyer who trusted his eyes,
And a little while later got quite a surprise.

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 16 Dec 97 - 10:47 PM

The 'warranty deed' bit finally gave jme a clue to jog my memory. It is Laws H24, and Jimmie Driftwood's version is in DT as "The Very Unfortunate Man"

Subject: Lyr Add: THE DAMSEL OF NINETEEN YEARS OLD^^
From: Bruce O.
Date: 17 Dec 97 - 03:44 PM

[Here is the late Delia Murphy (Mrs. Walter Kiernan)'s version, from a phono-record]

The Damsel of Nineteen Years Old

One fine summer's morning as I walked down the strand,
I met this young damsel, she was turned out so grand.
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She told me that her age was but 19 years old.

We walked and we talked about things that should be;
I really loved her, and I thought she loved me.
In about 6 months after the wedding bells tolled;
I was married to me damsel of 19 years old.

The night after the wedding we retired to rest;
My hair stood on edge as the bride she undressed.
Her cart loads of machinery was there to behold;
I sat down to view me damsel of 19 years old.

She took off her right leg an inch above the knee,
And on her left hand she had fingers but three.
Out on the carpet her glass eye did roll;
I sat down to view me damsel of 19 years old.

She took off her right leg a full two yards wide;
The bolt of her left leg ran up her left side.
And on the right shoulder a hump to behold;
I sat down to view me damsel of 19 years old.

Now all ye young fellows take a warning by me,
And don;t run away with the flash ones you see.
Make sure they're complete from the head to the toe;
Don't be fooled by machinery of 19 years old.

Subject: RE:
From: Virginia Shovlin
Date: 17 Dec 97 - 09:14 PM

Thanks, guys for the info. It was just what I wanted. I wanted to share the lyrics with my son who is just getting into folk.

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 18 Dec 97 - 12:13 PM

Sorry, I kept forgetting to add a mention of an old ballad about a loathly bride. It is Child #33, "Kempy Kay".

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 18 Dec 97 - 12:22 PM

There's a version of "Kempy Kay" in DT.