Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, wherever yo

Subject: Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, wherever yo
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 May 06 - 04:55 PM

A recent thread asking about people's favorite songs made me think of this one. It doesn't seem to be on the Internet, so I thought I would put it on.

Come all you pretty maidens, wherever you be.
Don't place your affections on a green willow tree.
The leaves they will wither; the roots will decay.
My true love has left me and wandered away.

A meeting is a pleasure; a parting is grief.
An unconstant lover is worse than a thief.
A thief, he will come rob you, and take what you have.
An unconstant love will lead to the grave.

The cuckoo is a fair bird; she sings as she flies.
She brings us glad tidings and tell us no lies.
She feeds on pretty flowers to make her voice clear.
And when she sings "cuckoo" the summer is here.

I'm going to send the MIDI to Joe. If that works, the tune will appear soon.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, whereve
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 05 May 06 - 04:50 PM

Below you will see the text that Joe said would link to the song. I've tried, but all I get is "this page cannot be found." Can somebody make this work? Thanks.

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Click to play

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Somehow, it ended up with line breaks inside the link. I removed them, and it worked.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, whereve
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 May 06 - 03:20 AM

Hmmm.
I guess this could legitimately be called "The Cuckoo." Many versions of "Cuckoo" share the "false-hearted lover" verse with "On Top of Old Smoky."
Can anybody give more information on this particular version?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, wherever yo
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 May 06 - 03:25 AM

Three very common "floating" verses. They turn up in all sorts of songs (not always together) and set to all manner of different tunes. Sometimes in lyric form, as here; sometimes with some narrative content. Where did you get it, Leeneia?

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, wherever yo
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 06 May 06 - 12:45 PM

I was hoping somebody would ask that!

I learned it off an LP which I bought in the classical music record store for $1.00. It was a compilation of traditional music from the American south, sung by a white woman whose first name was Winifred. She had a beautiful, trained voice.

This song was the only one on the album that I cared for, so after I learned it by heart, I discarded the album.

I like to sing it in combination with "On top of Old Smokey" and "The Dove She is a Pretty Bird." It is interesting to hear the themes and motifs interweaving among the songs.

I absentmindedly posted the song in a pretty high key. Oh well, that's why God gave us MIDI.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, wherever yo
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 May 06 - 12:00 AM

Winifred Smith, perhaps? Ethnic Folk Songs from the South and More Ethnic Folk Songs from the South.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, wherever yo
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 May 06 - 01:59 PM

I do believe you're right! Thanks.

Subject: RE: Tune Add: Come all you pretty maidens, wherever yo
From: GUEST,Guest-Rachel
Date: 19 Jun 08 - 05:59 PM

I'm looking for a song that is about a cuckoo and he asks the other birds (blackbird and thrush?) why they are so happy and they answer it is because they are single...that is the basic story of the song...i was told it is called the cuckoo but this does not appear to be the same song...if you have it under another name or if somebody could post it up here i would be very greatful...feel free to email me at [e-mail]