Lyr Add: A Sunderland Song

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Sunderland Song
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 10 Sep 04 - 01:56 PM

*#1 PEASANT* ... I'd be interested to know why you titled this thread 'A Sunderland Song' I know it as The Weary Cutter and wondered if there is some sort of play on words between that and 'weary sea' because the river Sunderland stands upon is the Wear (rhymes with fear, pier, sheer).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Sunderland Song
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 10 Sep 04 - 04:28 AM

JWB - Barrie's Captain Bover is a song of his own which uses the traditional song (1 verse only) as the chorus (also to his own tune). This is not the only reworking of Bover; there is another which adds the other compass directions to the existing Nor'ard. The tune to the Weary Cutters is traditional I think, from the version collected by Thomas Doubleday in 1821 (the song is available in eg Lloyd's Folk Song In England with the tune. Bover, with tune, is available in Bruce & Stokoe's Northumbrian Minstrelsy or Stokoe's Songs of Northern England).

If I've time later I'll check what's in the Forum for both and put up the words and tunes from these sources if they're not there already.

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Sunderland Song
From: JWB
Date: 10 Sep 04 - 02:18 AM

Thank you, Malcolm. When I searched the DT and the Forum all I got was this thread -- nothing came up in the DT at all. Did I not ask politely enough?

The song you link to is indeed an amalgamation. Captain Bover, according to a CD by Salt of the Earth, was written by Barry Temple. The Weary Cutters appears to be traditional.

Well, I'm going to perform the latter tonight at a concert of songs from the era of Nelson's Navy. It's a fine song, with a beautiful melody (no knowing if the melody is traditional, though).

I appreciate the help.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Sunderland Song
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 05:17 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Sunderland Song
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 09:54 PM

For a start, see the DT file WEARY CUTTERS

That text (no tune is given) seems to have been taken from a recording by Ray Fisher; no source is specified. It appears to be a modern collation of two distinct songs, The Weary Cutter and Captain Bover, but I don't have time to look everything up just now. Conrad has posted forms of both songs here at one time or another. Try the onsite search engine ("lyrics and knowledge search" at the top of every page) for more information.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A Sunderland Song
From: JWB
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 04:20 PM

I've got a recording of this by Steeleye Span (Maddy Prior harmonizing with herself -- wonderful!). I want to find out how many verses there are, and anything about the origins and age of the song.

Won't you please help me?

Thanks,

Jerry

Subject: Lyr Add: A Sunderland Song
From: *#1 PEASANT*
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 02:45 PM

A Sunderland Song

Oh! the weary Cutter, and oh! the weary Sea,
O! the weary Cutter, that stole my laddie from me;
When I look'd to the Nor'ard, I look'd with a wat'ry eye,
But when I look'd to the South'ard, I saw my laddie go by

.- Sharpe's "Bishoprick Garland."