Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice

Subject: LYR.REQ.
From: Jonathan
Date: 16 Oct 98 - 02:12 PM

Some time ago I heard a song sung at a session about a bloke who joined the army & lost his true love who was......married to a Turk. It included such immortal lines as "around the town's perimiter he chased me with his scimitar" and "with Ottoman obscenities he grabbed for my extremities" and so on. Whose is this and does anyone have the words. It's a yell! Jonathan.

Subject: RE: LYR.REQ. Errant Apprentice
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Oct 98 - 02:26 PM

Hi, Jonathan - I put "scimitar" in the search box in the upper-right corner of this page and found a song that sounds like the one you're seeking. Click here: THE ERRANT APPRENTICE and see if I'm right.
-Joe Offer-

---

---

THE ERRANT APPRENTICE
(Bill Watkins)

When I was a young apprentice and less than compos mentis
I took leave of all my senses, with a maid I fell in love
Her ringlets so entwined me, Aphrodite's smile did blind me
Cupid's arrow struck behind me, and her father owned a pub
It was there I met my nemesis in her father's licensed premises
Like the Seraphim of Genesis, sat Mary Anne Maguire
Arrayed in fine apparel, astride a porter barrel
She looked the kind of girl that would fill you with desire

All the turtle doves were cooing as I took to my wooing
Her loveliness pursuing in the springtime of that year
But she thought I should be older
And more gallant and much bolder
In the uniform of a soldier, 'tis then she'd hold me dear
In extremis and euphoria, I joined with Queen Victoria
For a spell of death or gloria, a-fighting with the Boers
To the wind I threw all caution, I'll return with fame and fortune
And together make a portion of matrimony's chores

On the gravestone of her mother, she swore she loved no other
But I was to soon discover that she played me for a berk
For lady-luck had beached me and intelligence had reached me
Whilst I'd been overseas she had married to a Turk
Well me, I then deserted for to find the girl who'd flirted
Back to Ireland I reverted for my jealousy was roused
In Maguire's pub in Derry, I found him making merry
With his arms around my Mary as together they caroused

So I took my time and waited until his thirst was sated
And home he naivigated through the streets of Derry town
At his lodgin's he stood knocking and whilst they were unlocking
I put a stone into a stocking on his head I brought it down
'Twas then the night's serenity was rent with loud obscenity
And Ottoman profanity that I couldn't understand
With an oath he made to grab me, with full intent to stab me
But as he tried to kebab me, I was screaming up the strand

All around the town's perimeter he chased me with his scimitar
A powerful passion limiter to an errant in his pride
Through the waterside he chased me, to the Bridge of Foyle he raced me
And at Derry Quay he faced me, so I jumped into the tide
Sure, bravery's no virtue when some heathen's trying to hurt you
And all noble thoughts desert you when you see his curly knife
For there's many things worth lying for and occasionally worth dying for
But there's bugger-all worth dying for, so I'll stick to the single life

@Irish @courtship @infidelity
filename[ ERRANTAP
TN
apr97

Popup Midi Player

Subject: RE: LYR.REQ.
From: Kirsten M
Date: 16 Oct 98 - 02:38 PM

That's an awesome song, I'd like to use it (I play Irish music)... so does anybody have the sheet music? Or a suggestion on where to look? I'm still relatively new to the internet, so anything would help. :)

Subject: RE: LYR.REQ.
From: Jonathan
Date: 17 Oct 98 - 05:01 AM

Joe; thanks a lot. I checked the d'base, but somehow I didn't find it or mistook the title; that's it all right. Now all I gotta do is learn it! J.

Subject: RE: LYR.REQ.
From:
Date: 04 Nov 98 - 03:30 PM

Hi,

I believe the song you're looking for was recorded a couple of years ago now by Andy M. Stewart. The song is called "The Errant Apprentice". It's an absolute hoot!

I don't have the album in front of me and I can't recall the title. It's the one with him on the cover holding an acoustic guitar. There's a moon in the background.

If anyone buys this album also check out the last track, Land of the Leal. It's hauntingly beautiful.

Rich

Subject: RE: LYR.REQ.
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 04 Nov 98 - 06:40 PM

A vaporish lady of Harrison
Once pined for the love of a Saracen
But she had to confine her
Intent to s Shriner
Who suffered, I fear, by comparison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 11:50 AM

According to allmusic, THE ERRANT APPRENTICE was written by Gerry O'Beirne, Andy M. Stewart, and Bill Watkins. It is sung by Andy M. Stewart on 2 albums:

Andy's "Man in the Moon," Green Linnet CD #1140, 1997; and the various-artists' "Song of the Green Linnet," Green Linnet CD #109, 2000.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Celtaddict
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 01:59 PM

It is also in his songbook (both songbooks, I believe).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: GUEST,Nac Mac Feegle
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 10:01 AM

Lyrics by Billy Watkins - music by Andy & Gerry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Fergie
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 07:59 PM

Tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Willie-O
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 08:03 PM

Funny, I was listening to this today, thinking "gee, is this too ethnically insensitive to perform in today's rarified political climate?......NAHHHHHH, it's too f****in FUNNY to let go of."

Subject: DT Correction: The Errant Apprentice (Watkins)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Dec 04 - 07:36 PM

CORRECTION TO THE DT:

According to Bill Watkins' web site the second-to-last line should be:

"For there's many things worth trying for and occasionally worth lying for"

It makes more sense that way.

(Also, you can hear the song at that site.)
\

---

The Errant Apprentice
© Bill Watkins
Words by Bill Watkins, music by Andy M. Stewart & Gerry O'Beirne
Listen to a bit of the song, courtesy of Andy M. Stewart's web site
  mp3  realaudio  

When I was a young apprentice and less than compos mentis
I took leave of all my senses, with a maid I fell in love
Her ringlets so entwined me, Aphrodite's smile did blind me
Cupid's arrow struck behind me, and her father owned a pub
It was there I met my nemesis in her father's licensed premises
Like the Seraphim of Genesis, sat Mary Anne Maguire
Arrayed in fine apparel, astride a porter barrel
She looked the kind of girl that would fill you with desire

All the turtle doves were cooing as I took to my wooing
Her loveliness pursuing in the springtime of that year
But she thought I should be older
And more gallant and much bolder
In the uniform of a soldier, 'tis then she'd hold me dear
In extremis and euphoria, I joined with Queen Victoria
For a spell of death or gloria, a-fighting with the Boers
To the wind I threw all caution, I'll return with fame and fortune
And together make a portion of matrimony's chores

On the gravestone of her mother, she swore she loved no other
But I was to soon discover that she played me for a berk
For lady-luck had beached me and intelligence had reached me
Whilst I'd been overseas she had married to a Turk
Well me, I then deserted for to find the girl who'd flirted
Back to Ireland I reverted for my jealousy was roused
In Maguire's pub in Derry, I found him making merry
With his arms around my Mary as together they caroused

So I took my time and waited until his thirst was sated
And home he naivigated through the streets of Derry town
At his lodgin's he stood knocking and whilst they were unlocking
I put a stone into a stocking on his head I brought it down
'Twas then the night's serenity was rent with loud obscenity
And Ottoman profanity that I couldn't understand
With an oath he made to grab me, with full intent to stab me
But as he tried to kebab me, I was screaming up the strand

All around the town's perimeter he chased me with his scimitar
A powerful passion limiter to an errant in his pride
Through the waterside he chased me, to the Bridge of Foyle he raced me
And at Derry Quay he faced me, so I jumped into the tide
Sure, bravery's no virtue when some heathen's trying to hurt you
And all noble thoughts desert you when you see his curly knife
For there's many things worth trying for and occasionally worth lying for
But there's bugger-all worth dying for, so I'll stick to the single life.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: GUEST,Al Owens
Date: 30 Jul 10 - 04:03 PM

Check out the version of The Errant Apprentice by 'Rig the Jig' on their website.

You'll need to look for it in the track listing of their DVD (not on the CD).

I saw them live in Ireland - their rendering of that song was a show-stopper.

Al

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Gurney
Date: 30 Jul 10 - 04:09 PM

For a recording of it, by a Mudcatter, buy Seamus Kennedy's 'On the Rocks' CD. Excellent CD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 30 Jul 10 - 05:11 PM

The link Joe Offer gave in 1998 now somehow leads to a different song altogether in the DT The Escape of Old John Webb which hasn't even got a scimitar in it!

With any luck this should find the correct song in the DT:- The Errant Apprentice, but note Jim Dixon's corrections above for the penultimate line.

Rosie Stewart sings this song superbly on her recent CD On the Leitrim Mountainside; if you haven't bought the CD yet from her website Rosie Stewart, you can request her to sing it at Whitby this August. It would be an interesting song to sing to celebrate cultural diversity now that Derry has been chosen City of Culture for 2013!

Matthew

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Jul 21 - 10:03 PM

I've just finished reading Bill Watkins' first autobiography - A Celtic Childhood (1999) ... A Celtic Childhood is a lovely memoir that reads as if you’re sitting at the feet of a grandfather full of stories! As some reviewers said, he uses a lot of bad language!, but I wasn't worried in the least.

His Irish mother had a song for every occasion, some were silly 4 line songs, many were traditional ballads. When he went back to Ireland at 16 he was able to provide some missing words/phrases to Luke Kelly. His father had fought in the International Brigade with Ian Campbell so thru him he met many UK & US folksingers - Joan Baez helped him with guitar.

He's a fantastic writer & as this volume only takes him to 17, I'll be looking for the next 2 volumes. Scotland Is Not for the Squeamish, 2000. The Once and Future Celt, 2008.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: GUEST,#
Date: 08 Jul 21 - 11:02 PM

Seamus Kennedy

https://seamuskennedy.com/wp-content/uploads/lyrics-ontherocks.pdf

Here's Seamus singing it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=191x67tYlIs

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Mrrzy
Date: 18 Sep 23 - 10:20 PM

Poxy Boggarts sing Soldier's life, at the end.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Sep 23 - 11:46 AM

If they were married, why was the Turk still in lodgings?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Mrrzy
Date: 18 Sep 23 - 10:20 PM

Poxy Boggarts sing Soldier's life, at the end.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Married to a Turk / The Errant Apprentice
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Sep 23 - 11:46 AM

If they were married, why was the Turk still in lodgings?