Lyr Req: The Smuggler: 'My love he is a smuggler'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 Jun 02 - 07:35 AM

That has to be the one, though I still doubt that it's really traditional. Carters would be cutters, I should think.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: IanC
Date: 21 Jun 02 - 07:34 AM

Joan

2nd word will be "Cutters"

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SMUGGLER (from Scolds Bridle)
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 21 Jun 02 - 07:20 AM

I have an album by Scolds Bridle which has the song "The Smuggler" - is this perhaps the one you're after?

THE SMUGGLER
(Trad)

My love he is a smuggler, he sails upon the sea
And I wish I were a smuggler to sail along with he
To sail along with he for the brandy and the wine
And run the tubs at Slapton when the moon do shine

For Hollands it is a fine drink for them that feels the cold
And brandy is a better drink for them that's getting old
There are lights upon the clifftop when he is homeward bound
And we run the tubs at Slapton when the word goes round

For the king he is a fine man in his bright red coat
Oh but I do love my smuggler in his little fishing boat
For he runs the finest(?) lace and he spends his money free
Oh I wish I were a smuggler to sail along with he

Oh the Channel it is his kingdom from England down to France
And he leads the revenue carters(?) a very merry dance
And when he comes ashore he confounds the exciseman
And leaves his boat safe moored and he comes to me again

My love he is a smuggler, he sails upon the sea
And I wish I were a smuggler to sail along with he
To sail along with he for the brandy and the wine
And run the tubs at Slapton when the moon do shine
To sail along with he for the brandy and the wine
And run the tubs at Slapton when the moon do shine

The two words followed by question marks are not correct, but are the closest I can come phonetically to what is sung. There are no notes on the song, other than "Trad".

Joan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Jun 02 - 09:37 AM

That's a very distinct possibility, but we need more clues! What happens in the song? Where was it heard? ...stuff like that.

I like the All Purpose Folksong.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 20 Jun 02 - 09:25 AM

The discussion about the lack of smuggler songs had me intrigued, because I have a nagging suspicion that I've seen a similar song in print. If I had to take a punt I'd say Scottish or Northern England 'cos they tend to be the tomes that I used to plough through from time to time. Whether there's any real historical base for smugglers in this area, I have not a clue. But I bet that if anyone can track this down then Malcolm certainly could.

In order to have a bit of fun I changed the word 'knight' to 'smuggler' in the song I posted. But my intention was to point out that rather than looking for a smuggler's song, is it possible that as part of the folk process someone has likewise changed 'sailor' or 'soldier' or 'Avon sales rep' in order to make the song more relevant? There's certainly no shortage of songs containing 'My love he is a ...'

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English
From: greg stephens
Date: 20 Jun 02 - 04:13 AM

Nice one, John. I imagine Malcolm Douglas will be along in a minute pointing out you've got the words wrong and giving us the Phil Tanner original.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: GUEST,ozmacca
Date: 20 Jun 02 - 03:03 AM

Generic multi-function folk songs - a whole new panorama opens up before us......

Subject: Lyr Add: ALL PURPOSE FOLK SONG (Gaiman, Garland...
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 20 Jun 02 - 02:29 AM

Sorry if I can't find the song, but this will have to suffice for the moment:

ALL PURPOSE FOLK SONG (Child Ballad #1)

© 2001 Neil Gaiman, Lorraine Garland, and Emma Bull

Ah, my love he is a smuggler bold,
Impressive in his ardour
Or a minstrel or a pirate
With his thighs and arms so firm
With a mandolin or an angry grin and a dead wife in the larder
And somewhere around this point in the song someone normally gets transformed into a loathly worm.
Sing dum-a-diddle, dum-a-diddle, dum-a-diddle dee
I'm singing of the forests or the tavern or the sea
Sing dum-a-diddle, dum-a-diddle, dum-a-diddle die
You can cross out or forget about the bits that don't apply.

And my lover is come down from the sea
Or fens, or heather
Fair maid, he sings, oh show me to your chamber door
Or arbor,
And he means me well
Or ill
Or he ignores me altogether.

Well, I sent my love a message as they led me to the pyre
But he'd shipped off with Prince Charlie to be a buccaneerio
And the pipes of Faerie skirled and the cows were in the byre,
And we drank good English ale until we felt a little queerio.

Oh I care not nothing for your goose feather crotch
And I know you by the feathers in your you-know
And we bantered and we badinaged, and then she stole me watch
Then we sang and danced and lost our way all under the autumn moon-oh.
Sing dum-a-diddle, dum-a-diddle, dum-a-diddle doot
No one's really listening and no one gives a hoot
Sing dum-a-diddle, dum-a-diddle, dum-a-diddle die
You can cross out or forget about the bits that don't apply.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English
From: greg stephens
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 05:29 PM

The almost total absense of smuggling songs fromthe tradition is interesting, considering ithas been a major British industry since the day after they invented Customs and Excise.The absense of worksongs seems a very valid point, Gaffer.You do nee dto keep quiet!! Perhaps a general discretion explains the whole thing. But somehow, even if the smugglers themselves didnt advertise their activities, you'ld think those jolly 18th century squires who actually bought the brandy would have had a few indiscreet songs they'd sing about the sources of their booze after they'd had a few.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: Gaffer
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 04:59 PM

Even in Cornwall, smuggling songs are thin on the ground - in fact in terms of traditional ones, I think they could be counted on the fingers of one foot. There are one or two composed in the early part of the twentieth century but I suppose that work-songs might be considered counter-productive in the smuggling industry. I know it never stopped highwaymen, but it might explain why they're extinct and smugglers aren't! With respect to the number of syllables, I imagine the facility to switch from 2 to 3 might make for a bit of flexibility at various points in a line.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English
From: greg stephens
Date: 19 Jun 02 - 08:20 AM

I've never heard of it. Certainly the language does not have the ring of traditional English song, though it would be easy to be mistaken over such a small fragment. Hope someone comes up with it soon...intriguing. Trying to guess an appropriate tune or structure: wonder if "smuggler" is sung with two or three syllables?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: ciarili
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 10:41 PM

If you've never read Kipling's The Post That Fitted, do! It's hilarious!

ciarili

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 07:43 PM

I haven't managed to find anything; there aren't all that many smuggler songs, and none of those I'm aware of sound like yours; neither the Roud index nor the Bodleian Library broadside site seem to have anything related. Can you give us any additional information at all? At the moment, I'm thinking it's not a traditional song but a revival composition "in the idiom" from perhaps the 1960s or '70s...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 07:39 PM

"Watch the wall, my darling, while the gentlemen go by." Not the right song, but a good'un. Rudyard Kipling, A Smuggler's Song.
Smuggler
Michael Longcor has written music for it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 06:25 PM

Hang in there, Fred. Someone may come through for you still! We have quite a few very knowledgeable UK participants who may not have seen this thread yet.

Sandy at Folk-Legacy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: MMario
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 09:13 AM

no luck at the levy sheet music site.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 09:05 AM

I looked here, and asked Google. No joy. Anybody else?

Subject: 'My Love He Is A smuggler' (English folk
From:
Date: 18 Jun 02 - 07:39 AM

Sirs - I am trying to trace a song, probably from Devon/Cornwall, England, with first line as :'My Love He Is A Smuggler . . . . ' Any clues? I'd be grateful for even being pointed in the right direction! Best, Fred Johnston.