Lyr Req: A Soldier Boy for Me / Railroader for Me

Subject: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From: GUEST,dowdie
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 10:53 AM

Can anyone help me find the words to the song which begins, " I went walking through the green grass,thus, thus, thus, come all you pretty fair maids, come walk along with us" ?
    thanks mudcatters, dowdie.

Subject: RE: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From:
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 11:10 AM

I can't access it right now, but it looks like this one titled Sailor Boy Set, but it begins with We. Check it out at:

http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/v/volkslieder/sailor.boy.html

Subject: Lyr Add: SOLDIER BOY FOR ME
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 12:32 PM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry:

NAME: Soldier Boy for Me (A Railroader for Me)
DESCRIPTION: "I would not marry a doctor; He's always killing the sick." "I would not marry a blacksmith...." The girl praises the soldier/railroader: "O soldier boy, o soldier boy, O soldier boy for me; If ever I get married, A soldier's wife I'll be"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1907 (published C. B. Ball)
FOUND IN: US(SE,So,SW)
KEYWORDS: soldier marriage courting railroading technology humorous
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Randolph 493, "The Railroader" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sharp/Karpeles-80E 68, "Soldier Boy for Me" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lomax-FSNA 215, "A Railroader for Me" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-RailFolklr, p. 465, "A Railroader for Me" (1 text, 1 tune)
Ord, p. 108, "The Bonnie Mason Laddie" (1 text, with a slightly different form, but too similar to classify as a separate song)
Silber-FSWB, p. 343, "Daughters Will You Marry" (1 text)
cf. Kinloch-BBook IV, pp. 14-15 (no title) (1 text)
RECORDINGS:
May Kennedy McCord, "The Railroader" (AFS 5301 A2, 1941; on LC61)
Pete Seeger, "Daughter Will You Marry" (on PeteSeeger11)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Jinny Go Round and Around" (plot)
cf. "Fond of Chewing Gum" (floating verses)
NOTES: It will be observed that the preferred occupation in this song can be almost anything -- and the rejected occupations can truly be anything at all. - RBW
C. B. Ball published this piece in 1907, but it's hard to believe he actually wrote it (at least in that year); the diverse collections by Randolph and Sharp clearly imply that it is older. - (PJS), RBW
File: R493

Words to "Soldier Boy for Me" (No. 272A in Sharp & Karpeles, English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians):

We go walking on the green grass, thus, thus, thus,
Come all you pretty fair maids,
Come walk along with us.
So pretty and so fair
As you take yourself to be,
I'll choose you for a partner,
Come walk along with me.

I would not be a blacksmith
That smuts his nose and chin,
I'd rather be a sailor boy
That sails through the wind.
Sailor boy, sailor boy,
Sailor boy for me,
If ever I get married,
A sailor's wife I'll be.

Additional versions from 272A:

I would not marry a doctor,
He's always killing the sick;
I'd rather marry a soldier boy
That marches double quick,
Soldier boy, soldier boy, etc.

I would not marry a farmer,
He's always selling grain;
I'd rather marry a soldier boy
That marches through the rain.
Soldier boy, soldier boy, etc.


Jerry Epstein does it on his cd "Time Has Made a Change in Me" (Minstrel JD-212), using the green grass verse as a chorus, and using all the verses. He says he got it from John Langstaff, who got it from Sharp & Karpeles.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: Lyr Add: SAILOR BOY(Benjamin Britten)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 12:35 PM

This is from the Google cache of the site George linked to,
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/b/britten.html
-take a look at all the folk textes Britten used.

The site says it is a folk text set by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976). This text is very familiar to me, but I can't find a recording of it now - and I can find no other mention of it on the Internet. Somebody, please tell us more about it. It's gonna bug me until I can tie it to my memory.
-Joe Offer-

---

SAILOR BOY

We go walking on the green grass
Thus, thus, thus,
Come all you pretty fair maids,
Come walk along with us.
So pretty and so fair
As you take yourself to be,
I'll choose you for a partner,
Come walk along with me.

We go walking on the green grass
Thus, thus, thus.
I would not be a blacksmith
That smuts his nose and chin,
I'd rather be a sailor-boy
That sails thro' the wind.
Sailor-boy, sailor-boy,
Sailor-boy for me,
If ever I get married
A sailor's wife she'll be.

Subject: RE: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 12:46 PM

Joe - Britten set it in the volume of folk songs with guitar accompaniment (quite a nice accompaniment for that - the accompaniment for Bonny At Morn is a wow). IIRC a recording of the the full set of folk songs (4 vols piano, 1 vol harp, 1 vol guitar I think) was issued only a year or so ago.

Mick

Subject: RE: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From: masato sakurai
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 12:51 PM

Britten's "Sailor-Boy" is on Britten: Folk Songs of the British Isles [with sound clip] performed by Maria Jette and Judith Kogan.

~Masato

Subject: RE: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From: masato sakurai
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:37 PM

Britten's "Sailor-Boy" is also on Music For Voice & Guitar performed by Julian Bream and Peter Pears [with sound clip], and on Britten: Folksongs/Songs from Chinese/Canticle II performed by James Griffett and Timothy Walker [with sound clip].

Subject: RE: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:38 PM

Ah, here it is: Sailor-boy is from Sharp's Seventeen Nursery Songs from the Appalachian Mountains. This site gives a fascinating explanation of Britten's Folksong arrangements.
Now, if we could get the Sharp text and tune...
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 01:46 PM

Uh, Joe, wouldn't that text likely be what I posted above? Also, No. 68 in Sharp and Karples Eighty English Folk Songs is the combined text:

1. the green grass verse
2. the blacksmith verse (with the sailor changed to a soldier who "marches through the wind")
3. the doctor verse
4. the farmer verse
5. the green grass verse again

I'll abc the tune and be back in a moment.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: Tune Add: SOLDIER BOY FOR ME
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 02:05 PM

X:1
T:SOLDIER BOY FOR ME
C:Trad.
I:Sharp & Karpeles, EFSSApp. #272B
Q:1/4=160
V:1
M:2/2
L:1/8
K:C
E2 G2 |A3 A A2 B2 |A4 E4 |A4 A4 | A6
B2 |c2 B2 c2 d2 |e4 e2 c2 |B3 B B2 c2 |B6
B2 |d2 B2 c2 d2 |e4 e2 c2 |A3 A A2 G2 |E6
A2 |c3 B A2 A2 |B4 e3 d |c3 A A2 G2 | A4 z4 |]

Further notes from Sharp & Karpeles (English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachians) for Version B: Sung by Mr. Jake Sowder, at St. Peter's School, Callaway, Va., Aug. 14, 1918. Compare "Green Grass" in Dictionary of British Folk-Lore, pp. 153-69. Version B is published in Nursery Songs from the Appalachian Mountains, 2nd Series, p. 10. (Version A sung by Mr. Bridges at St. Peter's Mission, Franklin Co., Va., Aug. 12, 1918.)

I canna gie ye mair than that, Joe.

~ B in T.

---

Click to Play

Subject: RE: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From: GUEST,dowdie
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 05:56 PM

thanks espec. to desert dancer who is obviouslly a discerning person of my ilk'
       cheers pet, you`ve made rowdie dowdie VERY HAPPY!

Subject: ADD: Soldier Boy for Me
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 06:11 PM

Glad to be of service. :-)

~ B in T(Finally remembering to fix the subject line to facilitate future searches.)

Subject: RE: lyrics req`d- I went walking through the
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 06:19 PM

I canna ask mair than that, Becky! I can sleep easy now, knowing that the song that bugged me hasa now been found. I converted your ABC to MIDI and included it in Midcat MUDIs...
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: lyr req: I went walking through the green grass
From: GUEST,dowdie
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 06:27 PM

thanks Mick, but where do I find it?

Subject: RE: lyr req: I went walking through the green gras
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 12 Nov 02 - 07:00 PM

Links are now at the top of this page and/or scroll up to where it says "click to play" below my abc post.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE RAILROADER
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Apr 05 - 10:42 PM

Lyr. Add: THE RAILROADER

I would not marry a farmer,
He's always in the dirt,
But I would marry an engineer
Who wears a striped shirt,

*A railroader, mother, a railroader, a railroader for me,
If ever I marry in all my life,
A railroader's bride I'll be.

I would not marry a blacksmith,
He's always in the black,
But I would marry an engineer
Who pulls the throttle back!

I've roamed this wide world over
Some pleasures for to see,
I fell in love with a railroad man
An' he fell in love with me.

I would not marry a sheriff,
For he is sure to die,
But I would marry a railroader
Who has them pretty blue eyes.

I would not marry a preacher,
He preaches too much hell,
But I would marry an engineer
Who rings the engine bell.

I would not marry a gambler,
He's always drinkin' wine,
But I would marry a railroader
Who runs the forty-nine.

* Not separated in the music, but this seems to be a chorus. Sung by Mrs. May Kennedy McCord, Missouri, 1934. "Learned from the man who furnished the music for the circle-swing at a picnic near Galena [MO] in 1897."
Randolph, "Ozark Folksongs," vol. 3, no. 493, pp. 259-260.

At a guess, this may have originated as a poem in a railroad magazine, e. g. "Locomotive Engineers Journal," which often included contributed poetry about railroading and other topics, and had a "Woman's Department."

Belden, "Ballads and Songs," 1940, places his version of "The Railroader" with "The Guerilla Boy," which is related to "The Roving Journeyman" of Irish and English broadsides.
A few verses are different.

I took a trip to Cornersville,
Some pleasure for to see.
I fell in love with the railroader
And he fell in love with me.

Chorus:
The railroader, the railroader,
The railroader for me.
If ever I marry in all my life
The railroader's bride I'll be.

I took him in my little parlor
And cooled him with my fan.
I whispered in my mother's ear,
'I love the railroad man,'

I would not marry the farmer, etc.

I would not marry the blacksmith, etc.

I would not marry the merchant;
He's always sure to die, etc.

I would not marry the gambler, etc.
---
Who pulls the number nine.

Secured in 1910 ---from a Mrs. Autherson, formerly of Wisconsin. No music.
H. M. Belden, "Ballads and Songs Collected by the Missouri Folk-Lore Society," 1940, p. 377.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I went walking through the green gras
From: GUEST,Desert Dancer at work
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 04:00 PM

Cross-referencing to a related "Walking on the Green Grass" thread.

~Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Soldier Boy for Me / Railroader for Me
From: cannoneer extraordinaire
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 10:51 PM

Hi, all-

I am new to this so I hope this comes through.

I found this site through Google and have been looking for years for lyrics to "A Railroader for Me." My mother and Aunt (born 1912 and 1909, respectively) sang this song as long as I can remember -- they learned it from their mother.

I recall the lyric about the "striped shirt" and know one other I have not seen here:
"I would not marry an old man
And I will tell you why
He chews so much tobaccy
His chin is never dry."

I would love to hear more and am so glad to find the ones on this thread.

Feel free to contact me at any time! [e-mail]

Carolyn Elwess

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: A Soldier Boy for Me / Railroader for Me
From: SuperKrone
Date: 08 Mar 10 - 02:28 PM

In Kaura Ungalls Wilder's book "By the Shores of Silver Lake" (which is part of a semifictional autobiography series) Laura's Pa has a job as Paymaster for a camp that is laying railroad tracks. Laura's cousin, whose father is a career railroad man, sings the "striped shirt" verse. Laura was born in 1867, and is 12 in the book, so the year is 1879.