Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :^^

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BUXOM LASS^^
From: weepiper
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 03:00 PM

THE BUXOM LASS
Traditional (as far as I know)

A labouring lad walked out one day
and he met with a buxom lass.
Belonging to a dairyman,
she had a field of grass,
it grew between two mountains
at the foot of a running spring,
and she hired him out to cut it down
as the birds did sweetly sing.

He said, 'My handsome fair maid,
what wages will you give?
For mowing is hard labour
unless your scythe be good.'
She says 'If you should please me well
as I am a lady clear,
I will give you a crown and an acre,
and the plenty is from here.'

He said 'My handsome fair maid,
I like your wages well,
And if that I should mow your grass
you'll say it was done well,
for me scythe is in good order
and lately has been ground,
and so bonny lass, I'll mow your grass,
till it's down unto the ground.'

With courage lke a lion
he entered in the field,
but before he'd cut one swathe of grass
he was obliged to yield,
before he'd cut one swathe of grass
his scythe was bent and broke,
she says, 'My handsome fair man,
you're tired of your work.'

She says 'My handsome fair man,
You're tired of your work.
For mowing is hard labour,
and weakening to the back,
Yes mowing is hard labour
and it you must forsake,
for to roll me little meadow
you may use your fork and rake.'

He said 'my handsome fair maid
pray do not on me frown,
for if I stayed the summer long
I could not cut it down,
for it is such a pleasant place
and it grows such stooks of grass,
for it is well watered by the spring
that makes it grow so fast.'

^^
Filth! heeheehee.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 03:11 PM

Good song!

Where is it from?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :
From: MMario
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 03:18 PM

see malcolm's post in this previous discussion.

Subject: ADD: The Buxom Dairy Maid^^
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 03:43 PM

Maybe this is the same young lady:

The Buxom Dairy Maid

I am a young dairy maid buxom and bright
In minding my dairy I take great delight.
In making of butter and cheese that is new
And a young man to play with my how d'you do.
With me gee-ho Dobbin,
Drive on your waggon
Drive on your waggon,
Gee-up and gee-ho.

The first was young Johnny a pretty plough boy.
He called me his honey, delight and his joy.
He kissed me so sweetly, my cheek gave a pat
And he's welcome at all times to shave for all that.

The next a young shepherd a buxom young lad
And many's the frolic together we had.
He used me so kindly he shoved it in tight
And he pleyed a sweet tune on his tapering pipe.

The waggoners they were all jolly blades,
Thye know very well how to please the young maids.
They are hearty and willing, goo natured and free
And those are the boys that shall do it for me.

My mother she told me of men to beware
Unless they should draw my poor heart in a snare
But for all advice still I care not a fig.
For young men shall play with my hairy wig.

My snatch is my own and the ground is the king's
It is free for a young man that brings a good thing.
So let him be strong or ever so stout.
I'll warrant I'll make him to quickly give out.

"Frequently encountered in print, but not in oral circulation" says the note with this in The English Folk Singer, a collection edited by Sam Richards and Tish Stubbs, published in 1979. This version comes from a broadside in the Harris Library collection, Preston Lancashire - no printers name with the broadside.

What's relatively unusual here is that it's from the girl's point of view. (Or possibly what some bloke who wrote it liked to think might be the girl's point of view.)^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :
From: weepiper
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 03:47 PM

Hey thanks, I am a recent convert to Mudcat and hadn't seen that discussion. I did search for the song first but I didn't know it as 'The Mower' and bizarrely 'The Buxom Lass' didn't come up either though it is mentioned by name in Malcolm's post.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :
From: weepiper
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 03:51 PM

McGrath: can a lad be buxom? Or should it be shepherdess? ;-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :
From: MMario
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 04:19 PM

according to this definition:buxom = Having the characteristics of health, vigor, and comeliness, combined with a gay, lively manner; stout and rosy; jolly; frolicsome.

tho' in common usage I think it has morphed to being equivilant to "busty"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:33 PM

You may find THE BEVERLY MAID AND THE TINKER similarly inspiring.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 05:33 PM

I think buxom essentially means suitable for kissing, buss being a word for kiss.

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: THE JOLLY WAGGONER^^
From: GUEST,Hey Nonienonieno
Date: 25 Sep 01 - 06:35 PM

[Song, 1757]

The Jolly Waggoner

As I was driving my Waggon one Day,
I met with a Damsel, tight, buxom and gay;
I kindly accosted her with a low Bow,
And I felt my whole Body, I cannot tell how.
    Hey gee Dobin, gee ho Dobin, gee gee ho Dobin,
    gee ho, gee ho.

I longed to be at her, and gave her a Kiss,
She thought me but civil, nor took it amiss;
I knew no recalling the Minutes were past,
So began to make Hay while the Sun shine did last.
    Hey gee Dobin, &c.

I've six Score of Sheep, and each Ram has his Ewe,
And my Cows when they lack, to the Parson's Bull go;
We are made for each other, so prithee comply,
She blush'd, her Eyes twinkl'd, she could not tell why.
    O poor Jenny, &c.

I kissed her again, she reply'd with Disdain,
No Kisses I want, prithee take them again;
Then whisper'd me softly, the Weatherr was hot,
And her mind run on something, she could not tell what.
    O poor Jenny, &c.

Then down in my Waggon this Damsel I laid,
But still I kept driving, for Driving's my Trade,
I ruffl'd her feathers, and tickl'd her Scut,
And I play'd her round Rubbers at two-hannded Put.
    O brave Roger, Drive on Roger, &c.

Her Breast they were soft and white as new Cream,
And her Motion kept Time with the Bells of my Team,
As her Bubbies went up her plump buttocks went down
So the wheels seem'd to stand, and the waggon go round.
    O brave Roger, &c.

Then to and again to our Pastime we went,
And my Cards I play'd fairly to Jenny's Content,
I worked at her pump till the Sucker was dry,
And then I left pumping, a good Reason why.
    O poor roger, broken back'd Roger, &c.

I thought e'er we parted to have t'other Blow,
When slap went the Waggon Wheel into a Slough,
Which shatter'd her very much out of repair,
Then Roger's pump Handle run the Devil knows where,
    O poor roger, broken back'd Roger, &c.

X:1
T:Gee ho Dobbin
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:C
G|ECE GEG| AFAG2G|cde ABc|dBG c2(B/c/)|d3/2e/d dBG|\
dBG G2 E/F/|G3/2A/G GFE|FDE F3|E2G ED2|F2A FD2|\
E2G Adc|B3/2A/B c2|]

^^

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BUXOM LASS (from Bodleian)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 04:50 PM

The Bodleian broadside collection has several copies of this. Only a few words vary; my version below is sort of a composite. It has some obvious shortcomings, such as the occasional lack of rhyme, but the various versions in the collection are consistent in this respect.


THE BUXOM LASS

1. As I walk'd out one morning I met a buxom lass.
Belonging to a dairyman, she had a field of grass.
It grew between two mountains, at the foot of a rising hill.
She hir'd me to cut it down, while the birds did sweetly sing.

2. He said, my pretty fair maid, what wages do you give,
For mowing is hard labour without the scythe is good.
She said, if you do please me well, I solemnly do swear,
I will give you a crown an acre, and plenty of strong beer.

3. He said, my handsome fair maid, I like your wages well,
And if I mow your grass down, you shall say it is done well;
For my scythe is in good order, and lately has been ground,
So my buxom lass, I'll mow your grass close down to the ground.

4. She said, my lusty young man, will you now begin.
My grass is in good order. I long to have it down.
It is such pleasant weather, I long to clear the ground,
So get your scythe in order to mow my meadow down.

5. With courage like a lion, he enter'd in the field.
He said he'd mow her meadow down before he left the field.
Before he mow'd one rood of grass, his scythe it bent and broke.
She said, young man, you must give in; you are tir'd of your work.

6. Says she, my handsome young man, you are tir'd of your work,
For mowing is hard labour, and weakening to the back;
For mowing is hard labour and that you must forsake,
But round my little meadow, you can use your fork and rake.

7. He said my handsome fair maid, now do not on me now frown,
For if I stop the summer, I cannot mow it down;
It is such a pleasant place, and bears such crops of grass,
It is well water'd with a spring, which makes it grow so fast.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Buxom Lass (some light relief! :^^
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 05:10 PM

From Word and Phrase: True and False Use in English by Joseph Fitzgerald (Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1901), page 255:

Buxome is the exact equivalent, etymologically, of German beugsam, which means literally, flexible, pliable, pliant, being from the verb beugen, to bend; in German beugsam is hardly used but in this literal sense. Buxom or buxome is of the same origin as beugsam, and is made up of the same two elements: literally, it means what beugsam means, flexible, pliant; but it early assumed a figurative sense,—that of compliant, yielding; complaisant, obedient, and the like, as "to make thee buxome to her law." Of course in that sense a colt might be subdued to buxomeness; or a henpecked man might be buxome to his wife—obedient to her. But whatever was written in the old times was written by the men, and buxome, under their pen, assumed the character of a feminine adjective,—one expressive of distinctively womanly virtues, the chiefest of which is of course that of complaisance toward her lord; but even that meaning was in time lost, and the epithet came to signify plumpness, freshness of complexion, and abundant, ebullient animal spirits, with at least a suspicion of something else and more; the "buxome lass" was no favorite of the matron. Spenser, as was to be expected, retains much of the ancient signification of the word:

"And bene of ravenous wolves yrent,
All for they would be buxome and bent."

So too when in prose he speaks of the people being made "buxome to government." Chaucer gives a good illustration of the use of Buxome in the best sense, as denoting the behavior of a faithful and loving wife:

"For who can be so buxom as a wyf?
Who is so true and eek so ententyf?"

And the hermit nun of Norwich, Chaucer's contemporary (she was still living 1388, aged forty-five years), has this: "We be all mercifully beclosed in the mildhed of God and in his meekhed, in his benignity, and in his buxomness." And in another place: "When a soul is tempted ... it is time to praie to make herself supple and buxom to God.