Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry

Subject: Lyr Add: WILLIE O' WINESBERRY (from R Cinnamond)
From: Barb'ry
Date: 23 Mar 04 - 11:10 AM

I want to sing the version of Willie of Winesberry sung by Robert Cinnamond on the Songs of the People CD, 'It fell on a Day, a bonny summer day'. It's a great recording but quite muffled in places and I wondered if anyone has the missing words. The ones I have are (I think) as follows:

WILLIE O' WINESBERRY (from R Cinnamond)

There was a lady lived in the west and she was dressed in green
And she leaned over her father's castle wall for to see the ships sail in

What is wrong with you her father did say, you look so pale and wan
For you must have some sure sickness or have lain with some young man

Oh I have had no sure sickness but I'm in love with a young man
And the only thing that breaks my heart is what keeps my darling so long

Is he a lord or a squire or a duke or a man of noted fame
Or is he young John from the Isle of Man that ploughs the raging main?

He is neither a lord, a squire or a duke or a man of noted fame
But he is young John from the Isle of Man that ploughs the raging main

Then call him down the salt sea **** and bring him here to me
If he's thinking to gain my daughter's hand he must leave this country

Oh father dear don't be severe or be cruel unto me
Oh if you send away young John Barlow? you will get no good of me

Then the king he called in his merry, merry men and he called them by one two and three
And instead of young John being the very first man, the very last one was he

He entered the room young John Barlow and the clothing he wore was silk
And his 2 blue eyes like the morning stars and his skin as white as milk

Aye you think you did wonder the king he did say, my daughter's in love with thee
For if I was a woman as I am a man, my bedmate you would be

Will you wed my daughter he said, will you take her by the hand
And you shall dine at my table and be master over all my land

I will wed your daughter he said but she's no match for me
For every pound that she counts down, I can count thirty three

Now fill your glasses to the brim, drink a health to your country
Drink a health to young John from the Isle of Man and to his lady*******

Hope someone can help
Thank you
Barbara

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ? version of Willie o'Winesberry
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 23 Mar 04 - 04:33 PM

Hi Barbara. I can't think of a better version of this song to learn from so I hope to hear you singing this soon.

I've been listening to the song again, and with the help of the text given in the booklet accompanying the CD these are the changes I'd make:-

v2.2 For you must have some sure sickness or have lain with some young man
For you must have some sore sickness or have lain with some young man

v3.1 Oh I have had no sure sickness but I'm in love with a young man
Oh I have had no sore sickness but I'm in love with a young man

v6.1 Then call him down the salt sea **** and bring him here to me
Then call him down the salt sea [strand?] and bring him here to me

v8.2 And instead of young John being the very first man, the very last one was he
And instead of young John being the very first man, the very last one came he

v13.2 Drink a health to young John from the Isle of Man and to his lady*******
Drink a health to young John from the Isle of Man and to Lady Winsbally

I'm not at all sure about the conjectured [strand] in v6 - it sounds more like "column"(?) to me. Good luck with singing it anyway.

Matthew

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ? version of Willie o'Winesberry
From: Barb'ry
Date: 23 Mar 04 - 05:29 PM

Thanks Matthew - see you soon, I hope
xx
ps - the booklet has gone walkabout in our house!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ? version of Willie o'Winesberry
From: Susan of DT
Date: 23 Mar 04 - 07:00 PM

Put Child #100 in th esearch box to see 4 versions of this song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 28 Feb 12 - 05:23 AM

I was just working up Tom the Barber when I remembered this version.

You're right, Matthew - if you see this! - it's a good text & an excellent tune.

On the disputed word in v6, I wonder if it's

Then call him down, the salt sea clown, and bring him here to me

There's a similar internal rhyme in v7 - and 'clown' doesn't necessarily mean 'clown' in the modern sense; it was in use to mean 'peasant' well into the nineteenth century.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: GUEST,Jill Greene
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 10:06 PM

Here are the lyrics that Robert and I revised for our recording of Willie of Winsbury:


WILLIE OF WINSBURY

The king has been a prisoner
And a prisoner long in Spain
And Willie of the Winsbury
Has with the King’s daughter lain

What ails you, what ails you my daughter Jane.
For you look so pale and wan
I fear you have some sad sickness
Or else you be with child

I am not sick my father dear
But with child I surely be
For I was grieving all those days
And what had become of thee.

Oh, was it with a lord or a duke
Or a man of birth and fame
Or was it with one of my serving men
That's lately come out of Spain?

It was not with a lord, nor duke
Nor a man of birth and fame,
But it was with Willie of Winsbury,
I could bide no longer alone.

And the king has called on his merry men
By thirty and by three,
Says, Fetch me this Willie of Winsbury,
For hang-ed he shall be.

But there did stand before the king
A kind and courteous young man
His heart was pure and full of love
For Jane and their child within.

And will you marry my daughter Jane,
By the truth of your right hand?
Oh, will you marry my daughter Jane
I will make you the lord of my land.

Oh yes, I will marry your daughter Jane.
By the truth of my right hand
Why yes, I will marry your daughter Jane
But I'll not be the lord of your land

For I have houses and I have land
I have men at my command
And were it not for your daughter fair
I would not be your serving man

And he's set her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey
He’s made her the lady of as much land
As she can ride in a long summer's day.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 03:43 PM

I wish I could remember who does the version I knew; daughter Janet, and her father strips her naked to discover the pregnancy. Otherwise very like the above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 03:44 PM

Pentangle!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 03:55 PM

Mrrzy,

I assume you mean the verse:

"Cast off, cast off your berry-brown gown
You stand naked upon the stone
That I may know you by your shape
If you be a maiden or none"

Amongst many others, Pentangle and Anne Briggs have done versions including that verse.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 03:55 PM

Sorry, didn't see your post...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 11:34 PM

Yes, indeed. And she cast off her berrybrown gown and looked pregnant.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 12 Jan 19 - 04:25 AM

And presumably this verse is in the Andy Irvine/Sweeney's Men recording, as it was from them that both Anne Briggs and Pentangle would have got this song. Andy Irvine would have got it from Child, hence the famous story about getting the wrong tune.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: GUEST,Ruairidh
Date: 21 Apr 22 - 03:50 AM

Not "salt sea column". He sings "saucy clown".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie o' Winesberry
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Apr 22 - 06:37 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0zAr1t6nTE
version here on concertina