Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters

Subject: Lyr Req: John Goodluck's Robin Hood and the Fifte
From: GUEST,Roberto
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 01:28 PM

I'd like to get the text of this ballad as sung by John Goodluck on The Suffolk Miracle, slightly different from the text in Child. I'm trying to get the words, but I'm not sure of too many verses. Can somebody help? THank you. Roberto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: John Goodluck's Robin Hood and the Fifte
From: GUEST,Roberto
Date: 09 Nov 03 - 01:30 PM

The ballad is: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters (number 139 in Child, as Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham). Roberto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: John Goodluck's Robin Hood and the Fifte
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 09:29 AM

Bronson has the following text in 'The Singing Tradition of Child's Popular Ballads"

Source:Creighton (1933) As Sung by Ben Henneberry

Robin Hood he bent his noble good bow
And his broad arrow let fly,
Till fourteen of those fifteen foresters
Dead on the Ground did lie.

hi down, hi derrry derry down

Ten men they came from brave Nottingame
To take up Robin Hood,
Some lost arms and some lost legs
And more they lost their blood.

hi down, hi derrry derry down

Ten men they came from brave Nottingham
To Take up robin Hood,
but he picked up his noble good bow
And he's off the the merry Greenwood,

hi down, hi derrry derry down



will post tune in a bit.

Subject: Tune Add: ROBIN HOOD'S PROGRESS TO NOTTINGHAM
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 10:00 AM

X:1
T:Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham
C:Bronson 139.1
N:Creighton 1933
N:from the singing of Ben Henneberry
I:abc2nwc
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:G
z4zG/2 G/2|B2c d2B|A B B G2"^|"d/2 d/2|
g3f/2 d/2 e/2|d3z2"^|"d|g2g e f g|d d B A G "^|
"A|B2c c B A|A2"^|"G d2e|d c2A B2|G3z3|]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: John Goodluck's Robin Hood and the Fifte
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 11:10 AM

Mr Henneberry lived on Devil's Island. Helen Creighton, Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia, J. M. Dent & Sons, Vancouver & Toronto, 1932: repr. Dover, New York, 1966: pp. 15-16.

Several broadside editions can be seen at  Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads. The 17th century copies were the basis of Child's text.

Robin Hoods progresse to Nottingham

The title had changed by the late 18th/early 19th century, but the text remained virtually the same:

Robin Hood and the fifteen foresters

In what is probably the earliest printing here (Fran. Grove, London), it will be seen that the foresters were drinking bear. Perhaps they had come over from Hull for the weekend.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: John Goodluck's Robin Hood and the Fifte
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Nov 03 - 12:10 PM

Thank you, MMario and Malcolm Douglas, but what I'm looking for is the text as sung by John Goodluck. The only chance is that someone, who owns the LP (or the CD, that is now available), would have
the time and will to listen to it and write down the words. If no one will do that, I'll try to post my transcription. Thank you. Roberto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: John Goodluck's Robin Hood and the Fifte
From: GUEST,longarm
Date: 11 Nov 03 - 03:07 AM

Anyone know what happened to John Goodluck? Last I knew of him was that he had gone over to the dark side(got a job as an insurance agent! with lots of money!) Woudn't mind catching up with him. Havn't seen him since I buggered off to Oz 13 years ago.

Pete Proctor(formely of Rough Justice)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: John Goodluck's Robin Hood and the Fifte
From: GUEST,Roberto
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 03:04 AM

I've recently bought his previous recordings, now on CD, by him, through his site: www.john.goodluck.btinternet.co.uk. Roberto

Subject: Lyr Add: ROBIN HOOD AND THE FIFTEEN FORESTERS
From: GUEST,Roberto
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 10:27 AM

I've got the text from John Goodluck in person. Here it is:


ROBIN HOOD AND THE FIFTEEN FORESTERS
John Goodluck, The Suffolk Miracle

Robin Hood said he would go to fair Nottingham
With the General for to dine
There he was aware of the Fifteen Foresters
All a drinking of ale and of wine

What news, what news ? - said the bold Robin Hood
What news fain woulds't thou know?
Our King has arranged of a shooting match
And I'm ready all with my bow

Well we hold it in scorn - said the Fifteen Foresters
That ever a boy so young
Should own him a bow before our King
Not able to pull on the string

Well I'll wager twenty marks - said the bold Robin Hood
By the leave of Our Lady
That I hit the mark at one hundred rod
And cause the hart to die

Well we all lay twenty marks - said the Fifteen Foresters
By the leave of Our Lady
That thou hittest not the mark at one hundred rod
Nor cause the hart to bleed

So Robin then he turned and he took up his bow
With his broad arrows he let fly
He hit the mark at one hundred rod
And caused the hart for to die

Well the hart did skip and the hart did leap
And the hart fell to the ground
That wager it is mine - said the bold Robin Hood
How I wish it were a thousand pounds

Well the wager is not thine - said the Fifteen Foresters
Thou appealest all in haste
Take up thy bow and get thee gone
Lest we thy side abase'

So Robin then he took up his noble good bow
With his broad arrows all amain
And Robin he has stalled and began to laugh
As he wandered across the plain

Then he turned him about and he took up his bow
With his broad arrows he let fly
Till fourteen of those Fifteen Foresters
All on the cold ground they did lie

Now the one who did the quarrel fist begin
He went running all over the plain
So Robin he has taken up his noble good bow
And he's fetched him back again

Well you said I was no archer - said the bold Robin Hood
So say so now again
With that he's sent another arrow forth
Which split his head in twain

Well you found me an archer - said the bold Robin Hood
Who will make your lives to ring
And you wish you had not spoken the word
That I would not pull the string'

And all the people in fair Nottingham
Came running out amain
Supposing to have taken the bold Robin Hood
With the Foresters who were slain

Well some lost arms and some lost legs
And some did lose their blood
Robin he has taken his noble good bow
And he's gone to the merry green wood

They've taken those Foresters to fair Nottingham
Where many there did'st know
They've taken them to their own church yard
Where they've buried them all in a row

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: John Goodluck's Robin Hood and the Fifte
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 12 Nov 03 - 10:33 AM

Thanks for posting!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: The Sandman
Date: 16 Mar 12 - 03:14 PM

i might point out that this song is on   PADDY BUTCHER CD open ground available from paddy butcher, homewood cross street elmswell suffolk ip309dr, john goodluck learned some of his repertoire from paddy butcher.They werebothin a band called TRUNKLES
Paddy credits it as from the Dransfields.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 01:24 AM

You will find me singing it on my youtube channel,

http://www.youtube.com/user/mgmyer

~M~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: The Sandman
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 06:13 AM

yes, ive listened, thanks mike.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 06:40 AM

Thanks to you, Dick. For possible interest, I include, as a spoken intro, the rather odd four lines preceding the version printed in Child, about RH being 15 at the time of the incident. Whether [it only now occurs to me to wonder] we are to read any sort of symbolism into his having defeated one adversary for every year of his age, I am not sure.

~M~

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 09:28 AM

That's what they said about Billy the Kid: twenty-one years, twenty-one notches.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: Anglo
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 03:50 PM

I thought I'd heard somewhere that Colin Cater was responsible for that arrangement. Though it does sound Dransfieldy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: theleveller
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 04:20 PM

I haven't sung this in years. I think it was Robin Dransfield who taught it to me, back in maybe 1965-6

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: breezy
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 05:22 AM

Heard this sung in Catford early 1970 ish at the Rising Sun by a visiting floor singer.

It was very well performed but I dont by know who. He wasnt a Dransfield.

very precise guitar work too

Any ideas on who it might have been?

I dont think he ever visited the club again

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: The Sandman
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 05:35 AM

that visiting singer was paddy butcher who now lives in elmswell suffolk , he has recorded it on his new cd open ground , he can be contacted on face book.
colin cater had nothing to do with the arrangement as far as i know it was the dransfields

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 05:38 PM

Woody Wood

The song was performed around the clubs in the mid 60's by Barry Dransfield. It was just superb.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: GUEST,from Bards 0f the Heath
Date: 11 Mar 13 - 04:41 PM

try www.johngoodluck.webs.com for the music & words

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: The Sandman
Date: 05 Jan 19 - 03:23 PM

JOHN GOODLUCK learned it from PADDY BUTCHER

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Robin Hood and the Fifteen Foresters
From: Lighter
Date: 06 Jan 19 - 03:56 PM

A nice performance by Ed McCurdy in 1957:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWI1k5RFczs

I haven't investigated its source(s) or possible resemblance to Butcher/Goodluck.