Lyr Req: Fain Would I Have a Pretty Thing...

Subject: Does anyone know this song?
From: GUEST,Don
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 03:48 PM

I heard this song once, but never knew the name and hoped somebody would be able to identify it for me. The first verse and the chorus go something like this:

Oh, that I had a pretty thing
to give unto my lady;
I know not how, but I need no thing
but as pretty a thing as may be.

Twenty journeys would I make,
and twenty ways would hie me
to make adventure for her sake
and set some matter by me.

As you can probably see, it sounds English and probably pre-Renaissance. If anyone can help me out, I'd appreciate it. God bless,

Don

Subject: RE: Does anyone know this song? - pretty thing
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:01 PM

This appeared in A Handful of Pleasant Delights (1584) as A Proper Song Intituled Fain Would I Have a Pretty Thing to Give Unto My Lady. To the tune of Lusty gallant; you can see the text at Greg Lindahl's  Sixteenth Century Ballads: A work in progress:

A Proper Song etc.

Subject: ADD: Pretty Thing to Give Unto My Lady
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:03 PM

Hey, I found it at this site. I believe the site owner is a sometime Mudcatter. I guess you could call the song "Fain Would I Have a Pretty Thing to Give Unto My Lady."
-Joe Offer-


A proper Song, Intituled: Fain wold I haue
a pretie thing to give vnto my Ladie.
To the tune of lustie Gallant.

Fain would I haue a pretie thing,
to giue vnto my Ladie:
I name no thing, nor I meane no thing,
But as pretie a thing as may bee.

Twentie iorneyes would I make,
and twentie waies would hie me,
To make aduenture for her sake,
to set some matter by me:
But I would faine haue a pretie thing, &c,
I name nothing, nor I meane nothing, &c.

Some do long for pretie knackes,
and some for straunge deuices:
God send me that my Ladie lackes,
I care not what the price is, thus faine, &c

Some goe here, and some go there,
wheare gases be not geason:
And I goe gaping euery where,
but still come out of season. Yet faine, &c,

I walke the towne, and tread the streete,
in euery corner seeking:
The pretie thinge I cannot meete,
thats for my Ladies liking. Faine, &c.

The Mercers pull me going by,
the Silkie wiues say, what lacke ye?
The thing you haue not, then say I.
ye foolish fooles, go packe ye. But fain &c.

It is not all the Silke in Cheape,
nor all the golden treasure:
Nor twentie Bushels on a heape,
can do my Ladie pleasure. But faine, &c.

The Grauers of the golden showes,
with Iuelles do beset me.
The Shemsters in the shoppes that sowes,
they do nothing but let me: But faine, &c.

But were it in the wit of man,
but any meanes to make it,
I could for Money buy it than,
and say, faire Lady, take it. Thus, faine, &c.

O Lady, what a lucke is this:
that my good willing misseth:
To finde what pretie thing it is,
that my good Lady wisheth.
Thus fain wold I haue had this preti thing
to giue vnto my Ladie:
I said no harme, nor I ment no harme,
but as pretie a thing as may be.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Does anyone know this song?
From: MMario
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:03 PM

a transcription is on this page. (scroll almost all the way down)

tune direction is "Lusty Gallant"

Subject: RE: Does anyone know this song? - pretty thing
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:05 PM

ahh, ya beat me, guys!

Subject: RE: Does anyone know this song? - pretty thing
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:06 PM

Gee, aren't we brilliant?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Does anyone know this song? - pretty thing
From: MMario
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:09 PM

at least we all endup up in the same place.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know this song? - pretty thing
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:13 PM

True, Mario, lol! Just takes me too long to do line breaks.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know this song? - pretty thing
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:46 PM

The tune is given in Claude M. Simpson's The British Broadside Mallad and Its Music (1966), taken from William Ballet's Lute Book (16th. century).  It was current in the early years of Elizabeth I's reign, and was named as tune for two other songs in a MS of 1566 or earlier.  A midi can be heard (vocal line only) via the  South Riding Folk Network  site:

Lusty Gallant

Subject: RE: Does anyone know this song? - pretty thing
From: GUEST,Desdemona
Date: 07 Jan 02 - 04:58 PM

Oooooh.....y'all beat me!!!

Subject: RE: Does anyone know this song? - pretty thing
From: MMario
Date: 08 Jan 02 - 10:23 PM

Thanks Malcolm!