Lyr Add: Love Has Brought Me to Despair (Wallin)

Subject: Lyr Add: LOVE HAS BROUGHT ME TO DESPAIR (Wallin)
From: Stewie
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 03:49 AM

This was brought to mind by the 'Carter's Blues' thread. Meade points out in his discography that the 'Carter's Blues' lyric is related to 'Love Has Brought Me to Despair' [Laws P25] which may be found in the DT HERE. The Hotmud Family recorded a different version of 'Love Has Brought Me to Despair' on their 'Live as we know it' LP [Flying Fish 087]. They note that their source was from the singing of Berzilla Wallin. Berzilla recorded the song for John Cohen in the 1960s and it was issued on Various Artists 'Old Love Songs & Ballads from the Big Laurel, North Carolina' Folkways 02309. Does anyone have that album? If so, could they post any note that Cohen may have made to this song?

Below is my transcription from the Hotmud Family. It was a fine duet performance from Suzanne Edmundson and Rick Good. Lovely song!

LOVE HAS BROUGHT ME TO DESPAIR

My father he was a rich old jay
My mother she was a lady fair
And me a-bein' the only heir
So love has brought me to despair

It's when I wore my long silk gown
He followed me from town to town
But now my apron just won't tie
He'll pass my door, but he won't stop by

There is a street in yonders town
Where my true love walks up and down
He takes another girl on his knee
And he tells to her what he won't tell me

There is a flower I've heard them say
For broken hearts both night and day
And of these flowers I have pulled
Until I got my apron full

But not one flower could I find
To mend my heart or ease my mind
And in green valleys all around
I thought I heard some doleful sound

My father he was a rich old jay
My mother she was a lady fair
And me a-bein' the only heir
So love has brought me to despair

Source: transcription from Hotmud Family 'Live as we know it' Flying Fish LP 087 [1979].

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'Love Has Brought Me to Despair (Wallin)
From: Midchuck
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 10:52 AM

Stewie, are you sure it isn't "...rich old jade?

I have the record, and that's what I hear. Makes marginally more sense, in terms of archaic English, anyway.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: 'Love Has Brought Me to Despair (Wallin)
From: Stewie
Date: 28 Feb 04 - 07:20 PM

Peter

Yes, I thought it could be either. However, I could find no suitable meaning for 'jade' in this context. I opted for 'jay' because the dictionary gives one meaning of 'jay' as a 'simple-minded or gullible person'. The transcription of 'Diamond Joe' from Lomax in the DT also gives 'jay' in a similar line: Click Here. What archaic meaning for 'jade' do you have in mind?

Cheers, Stewie.

Subject: Lyr Add: CONSTANT LADY AND FALSE-HEARTED SQUIRE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Apr 18 - 12:12 PM

From The Roxburghe Ballads, Vol. VIII, Part III, edited by J. Woodfall Ebsworth (Hertford: The Ballad Society, 1897), page 635:

[Pepys Collection, V, 285.]

The Constant Lady and False-hearted Squire:
Being a Relation of a Knight's Daughter near Woodstock Town, in Oxfordshire.

To A New Tune [As I walk'd forth to take the air*].

Near Woodstock town in Oxfordshire,
as I walk'd forth to take the air,
To view the fields and meadows round,
methought I heard a mournful sound.

Down by a crystal river side,
a gallant Bower I espied,
Where a fair Lady made great moan,
with many a bitter sigh and groan.

"Alas!" (quoth she), "my Love's unkind;
my sighs and tears he will not mind;
But he is cruel unto me,
which causes all my misery.

"My Father is a worthy Knight,
my Mother is a Lady bright;
And I their only child and heir:
yet Love has brought me to despair.

"A wealthy 'Squire lived nigh,
who on my beauty cast an eye;
He courted me, both day and night,
to be his Jewel and Delight.

"To me these words he often said:
'Fair, beauteous, handsome, comely Maid,
Oh! pity me, I do implore,
for it is you whom I adore.'

"He still did beg me to be kind,
and ease his love-tormented mind;
'For if,' said he, 'you should deny,
for love of you I soon shall die.'

"These words did pierce my tender heart:
I soon did yield, to ease his smart;
And unto him made this reply:
'For love of me you shall not die.'

"With that he flew into my arms,
and swore I had a thousand charms;
He call'd me Angel, Saint: and he,
for ever true to me would be.

"Soon after he had gain'd my heart,
he cruelly did from me part;
Another Maid he does pursue,
and to his vows he bids adieu.

" 'Tis he that makes my heart lament,
he causes all my discontent;
He hath caus'd my sad despair,
and now occasions this my care."

The Lady round the meadow run,
and gather'd flowers as they sprung;
Of every sort she there did pull,
until she got her apron full.

"Now there's a flower," she did say,
"is named Heart's-ease, night and day;
I wish I could that flower find,
for to ease my love-sick mind.

"But oh, alas! 'tis all in vain
for me to sigh and to complain;
There's nothing that can ease my smart,
for his disdain will break my heart."

The green ground served as a bed,
and flowers, a pillow for her head;
She laid her down, and nothing spoke:
alas! for love her heart was broke.

But when I found her body cold,
I went to her false love, and told
What unto her had just befel:
"I'm glad," said he, "she is so well.

"Did she think I so fond could be,
that I could fancy none but she?
Man was not made for one alone;
I took delight to hear her moan."

O wicked man! I find thou art,
thus to break a Lady's heart:
In Abraham's bosom may she sleep,
while thy wicked soul doth weep!

[The Second Part, To The Same Tune.]

A Second Part I bring you here,
of the Fair Maid of Oxfordshire,
Who lately broke her heart for love,
of one who did inconstant prove.

A youthful 'Squire, most unjust,
when he beheld this Lass at first,
A solemn thousand vows he made,
and so her yielding heart betray'd.

She mourning broke her heart, and dy'd,
feeling the shades on every side;
With dying groans and grievous cries,
as tears were flowing from her eyes.

The beauty which did once appear
on her sweet cheeks, so fair and clear,
Was waxed pale; her life was fled:
he heard at length that she was dead.

He was not sorry in the least,
but cheerfully resolv'd to feast;
And quite forgot her beauty bright,
whom he so basely ruin'd quite.

Now when, alas! this youthful Maid
within her silent tomb was laid,
The Squire thought that all was well,
he should in peace and quiet dwell.

Soon after this he was possest
with various thoughts, that broke his rest;
Sometimes he thought her groans he heard,
sometimes her ghastly Ghost appear'd,

With a sad visage, pale and grim,
and ghastly looks she cast on him;
He often started back, and cry'd:
"Where shall I go, my self to hide?

"Here I am haunted, night and day:
sometimes, methinks I hear her say:
'Perfidious man! false and unkind,
henceforth you shall no comfort find.'

"If through the fields I chance to go,
where she receiv'd her overthrow,
Methinks I see her in despair,
and, if at home, I meet her there.

"No place is free of torment now:
alas! I broke a solemn vow,
Which once I made; but now, at last,
it does my worldly glory blast.

"Since my unkindness did destroy
my dearest love and only joy,
My wretched life must ended be:
now must I die and come to thee."

His Rapier from his side he drew,
and pierc'd his body thro' and thro';
So he dropt down in purple gore,
just where she did some time before.

He buried was within the grave
of his true-love. And thus you have
A sad account of his sad fate,
who died in Oxfordshire of late.

London: Printed for E. B. near Fleet-Street. [White-letter. Date, circa 1686.]

* Note.—This second 'Oxfordshire Tragedy' is not in the Roxburghe Coll. It was sung to a well-known tune (see Popular Music, p. 191; sung also to "As our King lay musing on his bed"—our vol. vi, p. 744). It is deceptive in its later issue as a 'Garland' (Douce Coll., III, 70 verso, and Lindes., 865); yet thus reprinted in the National English Airs, 1838, p. 123, viz. Four Parts.

[Here was concluded the ballad-story of the Oxfordshire Knight's Daughter and her False-hearted Squire. It needed not the two other Parts that were conjoined to it, when issued as a 'Garland.' 'The Lover's Farewell' is a new departure, being the former case reversed, a distinct story; its own sequel is * The Lady's Lamentation.' It had appeared earlier in Black-letter (Pepy's Collection, III, 379), and we borrow the full title. The first and second stanzas of the 'Farewell' were, in 1688, with music by Robert King, published under a different title, viz. 'The Jealous Lover' (p. 54 of our Bagford Ballads). It is better, to avoid all misunderstanding, for us to reprint here the whole continuation, but with a preliminary caution that it is a distinct ballad from the one preceding. The tune is named on p. 412. R. B.=Richard Baldwin. The third and fourth parts were added, as a contrast to the first narrative, to lengthen it and double the price. The third part, also the fourth, her 'Lamentation,' was twice issued as a separate ballad; exemplars of each being preserved in the Pepysian Collection, viz. Vol. III, p. 379, and V, 315: both distinct from Pep. Coll., V, 285. This is the true solution of the enigma, which had eluded the late William Chappell.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Love Has Brought Me to Despair (Wallin)
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 27 Apr 18 - 06:16 PM

Stewie,

I seem to have in the back of my mind someone being described as "a wise old jade", so had no reason to query it when I first heard the record.

Does anyone else know the expression?

Mike Yates may be able to help here. I know he recorded Doug Wallin and other members of the family some of which recordings are available from Musical Traditions. He may possibly be able to throw some light on it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Love Has Brought Me to Despair (Wallin)
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 27 Apr 18 - 07:06 PM

Here's another version from Berzilla Wallin (you can hear her excellent - though it seems a bit muddled - version on youtube - Love Has Brought Me To Despair).

The first line does seem to end in jade. It's listed as such in the Roud index (Roud 60)-for the versions from Berzilla Wallin and Dillard Chandler.

Mick

---

LOVE HAS BROUGHT ME TO DESPAIR

My father he was a rich old jade
My mother she was a lady fair
And me a-bein' the only heir
So love has brought me to despair.

It's when I wore my long silk gown
He followed me from town to town.
But now my apron just will tie,
He passes my door, and he won't stop in.

There is a street in yonders town
Where my true love walks up and down.
He takes another girl on his knee
And tells to her what he won't tell me.
He takes another girl on his knee,
Oh ain't it a awful grief to me.

There is some flowers I've heard them say
That would cure false love both night and day.
And of these flowers I did pull
Until I got my apron full

I gathered black, I gathered blue,
But none of these flowers could I find
that would cure false love or ease my mind

It's out of these leaves i made a bed
And out of these flowers a pillow for my hear
It's down she lay a nary a word she spoke
Until her aching heart was broke.

And in the green meadows round
I thought i heard a doleful sound


Source: Berzilla Wallin, youtube - Love has brought me to despair

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Love Has Brought Me to Despair (Wallin)
From: GUEST,Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 27 Apr 18 - 07:14 PM

Jade - originally a worn-out horse - used mostly of women to mean worthless or disreputable, but (according to my OED) used occasionally of men.

Mick