Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Jenny

Subject: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: GUEST,tracy f. harris
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:18 PM

I'm a student enrolled in Tony Barrand's class at BU. I'm looking for the lyrics to "Gentle Fair Lady," as performed by Edna Ritchie on "Edna Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky."

I need the lyrics for a paper due for Barrand tomorrow, so if someone can help me out, that'd be great. But, ah, try not to tell the prof I put off his assignment.

Thanks!

-tracy f. harris
(a kentucky girl herself)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Jenny - need soon!
From: GUEST,tracy f. harris
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:35 PM

Whoops, typed the name of the song in wrong. Sorry!

For some reason, lady seems to fit.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:55 PM

Could this possibly be the one?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: GUEST,tracy f. harris
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:57 PM

No, I saw that one ... The one I'm looking for is more of a teasing game, between a husband and wife, where he asks for dinner and she kicks him out.

but thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:59 PM

Sorry, that is all I found, even with search engines. Seems Jean Ritchie did Gentle with that title.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: GUEST,tracy f. harris
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:02 PM

Yeah, I think they both did, so lyrics for either would be fine. I haven't been able to find them anywhere, either.

Thanks for the help though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:23 PM

Gentle fair Jennie was sung by Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand, and others. Can't put my hands on it at the moment. Sorry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:32 PM

Found it in Lomax. Will post in 10 minutes. Doorbell rang

Subject: Lyr Add: GENTLE FAIR JENNY (from Alan Lomax)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:46 PM

Lyr. Add: GENTLE FAIR JENNY

Sweet William married him a wife,
Gentle fair Jenny, come rosemary,
To be the comfort of his life,
The dew flies over the green valley.

He married his wife and took her home,
But I think he married a little too soon.

His wife would neither card nor spin,
For fear of spoiling her delicate skin.

His wife would neither bake nor brew
For fear of spoiling her high-heeled shoe.

Sweet William come in from a-jogging the plow,
It's 'O my sweet wife, is the food ready now?

'There's cheee and johnny-cake on the shelf,
If you want any more you can get it yourself.'

Swet William has gone out to his barn,
And there he's taken his sheepskin down.

He laid the sheepskin over her back,
And with two little willows went whackety-whack.

'I'll tell my family and all my kin,
How you this quarrel did begin.'

'Go tell your family and all your kin,
That I was tanning my old sheepskin.'

Now he comes in from a-jogging the plow,
It's 'Sit you down, sir, the meal's ready now,'

Now they live free from care and strife,
And she makes William a very good wife.

In Belden, Child, Ritchie, Brown, Creighton, Sharp, etc., etc., originally British, but widespread in USA and Canada.

Lomax, Alan, Folk Songs of North America, 1960, p. 167.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:50 PM

THANK YOU! It's much appreciated. Makes the paper writing a lot easier. Many, many thanks to everybody who chipped in.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Lady - need soon!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:56 PM

Acording to The Traditional Ballad Index, first in print in 1803.
"The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin," Child 277.
The version collected by Sharp and published in "Eighty English Folk Songs" is in the DT.

See thread 11787, Risselty-Rosselty: Risselty

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WEE COOPER O' FIFE
From: akenaton
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:26 PM

Known in Scotland as "The wee coupar o' Fife.

Traditional Scottish Songs
- THE WEE COOPER O' FIFE




Beating your wife so that she does the housework may not be politically correct these days - but it was accepted when this song was written long ago! The tune is lively and usually sung at a high rate of knots!


THE WEE COOPER O' FIFE

There was a wee cooper lived in Fife
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And he has tae'n a gentle wife
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

She wouldna card and she wouldna spin
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
For shamin' o'her gentle kin
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

She wouldna bake and she wouldna brew
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
For spoilin' of her gentle hue
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

She called him a dirty Hieland whelp
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
If you want yer dinner go get it yourself
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

The cooper's awa tae his wool-pack
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And lain a sheepskin across her back
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

I'll no thrash you, for your gentle kin
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
But I will thrash my ain sheep-skin
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

He's laid the sheepskin across her back
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And with a good stick he went whickety-whack
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

Oh I will card and I will spin
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And think nae mair of my gentle kin!
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

She drew the table and spread the board
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
And "My dear husband" was every word
Risselty-rosselty, hey, pomposity
Nickety nackety noo, noo, noo.

All you who have gotten a gentle wife
Nickety nackety noo, noo. noo
Just send ye for the cooper of Fife!
Risselty-rosselty,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gentle Fair Jenny - need soon!
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:37 PM

Wee Cooper is in the DT and there are threads- but good to have it here for comparison with Jenny.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WEE COOPER O' FIFE
From: akenaton
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:38 PM

Sorry this is the version i was thinking of...Ake

There was a wee Cooper wha leeved in Fife
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
And he had gotten a gentle wife,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

She wadna bake, nor she wadna brew,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
For the spoiling o' her comely hue,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

She wadna card, nor she wadna spin,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
For the shamin' o' her gentle kin,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

She wadna wash, nor she wadna wring,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
For the spoiling o' her gowden ring,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

The Cooper has gane to his woo' pack,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
And he's laid a sheep's skin on his wife's back,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

"It's I'll no thrash ye for your gentle kin",
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
"But I will skelp my ain sheep's skin",
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

"Oh I will bake and I will brew",
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
"And nae mair think o' my comely hue",
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

"Oh I will card, and I will spin",
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
"And nae mair think o' my gentle kin",
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

"Oh I will wash, and I will wring",
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
"And nae mair think o' my gowden ring",
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.

A' ye wha ha'e gotten a gentle wife,
Nickety, Nackety, noo, noo, noo,
Just main' ye the wee Cooper o' Fife,
Hey Willy Wallacky, hoo John Dougal,
Alane, quo' Rushity, roue, roue, roue.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: ADD: Gentle Fair Jenny (Edna Ritchie Version)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 07:19 PM

Gentle Fair Jenny
(Edna Ritchie Version)

I married me a wife and took her home,
Gentle fair Jennie, fair Rosie Marie.
I ofttimes wisht I had let her alone,
As the dew flies over the green vallee.

All in the kitchen she would not use...
For fear of spoiling her new cloth shoes,...

First day at noon I came in from the plow,
"My dearest wife is my dinner ready now?"

"There's a little piece of cornbread layin' on the shelf,
If you want any more you can cook it yourself."

Second day at noon I came in from the plow,
"My dearest wife is my dinner ready now?"

"Get out of here you dirty thef,
It you want any dinner go cook it yourself."

I took my knife and went out to the barn-,
I cut me a hickory as long as my arm.

I took my limb and I went back
All around her back I made it crack,

'I'll tell my father and all my kin
That you whipped me with a hickory limb"

"You can tell your father and all your kin
I whupped you once and I'll whup you again"


from the CD booklet for Edna Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky,
Folk-Legacy CD-3.
Recorded by Sandy Paton at Viper, Kentucky
Notes by D.K. Wilgus (and they're really good!)
LP issued in 1962

Since this is CD-3, it's one of Sandy Paton's first field recordings for his Folk-Legacy label. The sound quality is terrific.
-Joe-