Origins:A-Rovin/Maid from Amsterdam/Amsterdam Maid

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 03:10 PM

I don't know Mudcat's norms about bawdy postings. I learned several uncensored verses to Maid of Amsterdam directly from Stan Hugill back in 1989 or so. I'm willing to share them but I'm unsure about what's appropriate language for The Forum. Advice?

P.S. I think I know what the answer will be...

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 02:32 PM

I believe "Bruce O" has inadvertently confused this song with the one Hugill calls "Ratcliff Highway," which has been regarded as a descendant of "Watton Towns End." The resemblance seems to me to be rather superficial.

A possible missing link may be a song called "The Frigate Well-Mann'd," supposed to be in a chapbook called "Lovely Peggy's Garland" at the British Library, catalogued T.C.6.a.8 (44). Sea song aficionados would be grateful if any 'Cat at said Library could look it up and post the lyrics, or report if they are unfindable. I'm trying to trace the development of these songs.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE AMSTERDAM MAID
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 01:30 PM

Lyr. Add: THE AMSTERDAM MAID

In Louisville I met a maid,
Mark well what I do say,
An' she was mistress of her trade,
It was diddle, diddle, diddle alla day.

I put my hand upon her toe,
Mark well what I do say,
She says, Young man, you're rather low,
For to diddle, diddle, diddle alla day.

I put my finger on her knee,
Mark well what I do say,
She says, Young man, you're rather free,
For its diddle, diddle, diddle alla day.

I put my arm around her waist,
Mark well what I do say,
She says, Young man, you're in great haste,
For to diddle, diddle, diddle alla day.

I put my hand upon her thigh,
Mark well what I do say,
She says You're getting pretty nigh,
To my diddle, diddle, diddle alla day.

I put my hand upon her ass,
Mark well what I do say,
She says, Let's lay down on the grass,
An' diddle, diddle, diddle alla day.

From MO, 1933, "learned it about 1890," southwest Missouri. From Randolph-Legman, 1992, "Roll Me in Your Arms," # 20, pp. 124-125. Sheet music provided, not the usual tune.

More explicit versions in Ed Cray, "The Erotic Muse." He also reproduces a verse from Purslow, "The Wanton Seed," which may indicate that the son had a long life on shore as well:

As I was going over the fields,
Mark you well what I do say.
As I was going over the fields,
A fair pretty lass came close to my heels
Which caused me to go a-screwing,
Which brought me to my ruin,
Which caused me to go a-screwing
All under the new mown hay.

Watton Town End, mentioned above by Bruce O, is in the DT.

Subject: Lyr Add: Song from "Rape of Lucrece"
From: GUEST,IanC (in British Library)
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 10:26 AM

Sorry - 2 things I got wrong. 1st this is a LyrAdd. 2nd the book is Octavo, so the pages should be numbered G4V and HR respectively.

Subject: Lyr Add: DID HE TAKE FAIR LUCRECE BY THE TOE MAN
From: GUEST,IanC (at British Library)
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 09:15 AM

This is in response to BruceO's two posts above.

I've had this on my list for a while, but I've only just had the chance to consult a copy of the original printing of Heywood's play (1608) in the British Library.

Though it's possible to claim that the song isn't in the play, I don't think it's reasonable to claim that there isn't one which is similar. On pages G5 and H (towards the end) of the original is the following trio between Valerius, Horatius and The Clown which, given the subject matter, has to be said to be in rather poor taste.

Vale. Did he take fair Lucrece by the toe man?
Clow. Toe man.
Vale. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha, ha man.
Hor. And further did he strive to goe man?
Clow. Goe man.
Hor. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha man,
ha fa derry derry downe a,
hey fa derry dino.

Vale. Did he take fair Lucrece by the heel man?
Clow. Heel man.
Vale. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha, ha man.
Hor. And did he further strive to feel man?
Clow. Feel man.
Hor. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha man,
ha fa derry derry downe a,
hey fa derry dino.

Vale. Did he take the Lady by the shin man?
Clow. Shin man.
Vale. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha, ha man.
Hor. Further he too would have bin man?
Clow. Bin man.
Hor. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha man,
ha fa derry derry downe a,
hey fa derry dino.

Vale. Did he take the Lady by the knee man?
Clow. Knee man.
Vale. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha, ha man.
Hor. Further then that would he be man?
Clow. Bee man.
Hor. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha man,
ha fa derry derry downe a,
hey fa derry dino.

Vale. Did he take the Lady by the thigh man?
Clow. Thigh man.
Vale. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha, ha man.
Hor. And now he cme it somewhat nye man?
Clow. Nye man.
Hor. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha man,
ha fa derry derry downe a,
hey fa derry dino.

Vale. But did he do the tother thing man?
Clow. Thing man?
Vale. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha, ha man.
Hor. And at the same had he a fling man?
Clow. Fling man.
Hor. I man.
Clow. Ha, ha, ha man,
ha fa derry derry downe a,
hey fa derry dino.

The correspondence between the songs was originally pointed out by John Masefield (1906) in This Article (well worth the read!) though he got the name of the play wrong, probably because of the full name of the play "The Rape of Lucrece a Roman Tragedie with the severall songes in their apt places, by Valerius, the merry lord amongst the Roman Peeres".

:-)

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: Bruce O.
Date: 20 May 98 - 09:42 AM

What is the opening line of the song that your ref. book says is in 'The Rape of Lucrece'?

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: BK
Date: 20 May 98 - 12:29 AM

Interesting; I partly learned this - sl different version - from an old reference book which clearly & unequivocally attributed it to "The Rape of Lucrecia." Now, what am I to think??

Cheers, BK

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: Bruce O.
Date: 19 May 98 - 10:23 PM

The original version has been taken to be "Watton Town's End", with is with tune on my website. There is no version of this or any song like it in Thomas Heywood's 'The Rape Lucrece'. All the songs are in the 1638 edition, and over half of them were in the original 1608 edition, and there are a few bawdy ones, but nothing like the "Maid of Amsterdam".

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: Barry Finn
Date: 19 May 98 - 03:24 PM

Sometimes it has an extra refrain, example:

In Amsterdam there lived a maid
Chorus: Bless you young woman
In Amsterdam there live a maid
Chorus: Mark well what I do say
In Amsterdam there lived a maid & she was mistress of her trade

Chorus:I'll(we'll)go no more a-rovin with you fair(false) maid
Grand Chorus: A-rovin, a-rovin,a-rovin's been my ruin
I'll (we'll) go no more a-rovin with you fair maid.

Shay say it may have started off it's life back in 1640, in "The Rape Of Lucrece", Hugill doesn't believe this & Doerflinger does't say, but they all agree that's it very old. Most of the song has been prettied up of it's fowl language,to make it printable, so what you see now is probly not what it once was. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: Bert
Date: 19 May 98 - 10:23 AM

When I learned a sanitized version of that in school, yonks ago, it was "Plymouth Town". I wonder which version was earliest.
Bert.

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: AndreasW
Date: 19 May 98 - 05:21 AM

Thanks Wolfgang, I had found that song in the database but I must have missed the one line I was looking for as there are so many lines that are different (I did the search some days ago after a long working day...).
Now after getting your hint I listened to the song again and "you're in great haste" could indeed match what I hear. Thanks again, Andreas

Subject: RE: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 19 May 98 - 05:10 AM

Andreas, enter "maid Amsterdam" in the search window (upper right) and you´ll get one song called A Rovin´ which seems to be the same song. In that song the line is:
"...you´re in great haste"

Wolfgang

Subject: Lyr help req: Maid from Amsterdam
From: AndreasW
Date: 19 May 98 - 03:09 AM

Hi, fellow mudcateers,

I need help with the lyrics of a song called "The Maid from Amsterdam".
I am looking for one line which I can't understand from listening to the recording. (English is "only" my second language)
The recording is by a group called "Kings Galliard", on the CD called "Rocky Road to Dublin"
There are two versions of this song in the database under the title of "A-Rovin" but both didn't help me as they are only similar.
I am looking for the exact word(s) in the recording mentioned above.
I marked the place where I don't know the word(s) with 3 question marks.
Should I have made some errors elsewhere please give me a hint, too.
Now the text as I hear/understand it:

The Maid from Amsterdam (aka A-Rovin')

In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
mark well what I do say,
In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
and she was Mistress of her trade,

Chorus [after each verse]
I go no more a-roving with you, fair maid.
A-roving, a-roving,
since roving's been my ru-i-in
I go no more a-roving with you, fair maid.

I kissed her once, I kissed her twice,
mark well what I do say,
I kissed her once, I kissed her twice,
said she your men you're all so nice

I put my hand upon her knee,
mark well what I do say,
I put my hand upon her knee,
said she you men are fancy-free,

I put my arms around her waist,
mark well what I do say,
I put my arms around her waist,
said she don't man, you're ???

[repeat first verse]

Thanks for any help,
Andreas