Subject: Lyr Add: THE UNFORTUNATE LAD (#350 / Rake's Lamen
From:
Robin
Date: 21 Oct 02 - 08:51 AM
THE UNFORTUNATE LAD
As I was walking down by the Lock Hospital,
As I was walking one morning of late,
Who did I spy but my own dear comrade,
Wrapped in flannel so hard is his fate.
CHORUS
Had she but told me when she disordered me
Had she but told me of it in time,
I might have got salts and pills of white mercury,
But now I'm cut down in the height of my prime.
I boldly stepped up to him and kindly did ask him,
Why was he wrapped in flannel so white?
My body is injured and sadly disordered,
All by a young woman my own heart's delight.
My father oft told me, and oftimes chided me
And said my wicked way would never do;
But I never minded him, nor ever heeded him,
Always kept up in my wicked ways.
Get six jolly fellows to carry my coffin,
And six pretty maidens to bear up my pall,
And give to each of them bunches of roses
That they may not smell me as they go along.
Over my coffin put handsful of lavender,
Handsful of lavender on every side,
Bunches of roses all over my coffin,
Saying there goes a young man cut down in his prime.
Muffle your drums, play your pipes merrily,
Play the dead march as you go along;
And fire your guns right over my coffin,
There goes an unfortunate lad to his home.
……
This version isn't quite the same as any of the versions found in #350 (The Rake's Lament tradition).
I've taken the text from Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/ballads/ballads.htm
It's a pretty standard "Rake's Lament", but with two interesting spins.
It's localised in time and place (the Bodleian has seven broadside texts, identical apart from spelling, all from London 1863-1885).
And it introduces a moralising (and intrusive) stanza, beginning "My father oft told me"
The only major (?) variants between the texts I've seen (only five are properly digitised) are:
Why was he wrapped in flannel so white?
(alt. [once])
Why he was wrapped in flannel so white?
Always kept up in my wicked ways.
(alt.)
Always kept up my wicked ways.
Robin
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sj
