Origins: Carrion Crow

Subject: CARRION CROW
From: Goose Gander
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 12:41 AM

This one doesn't seem to have its own thread, and I thought it deserved one, so here goes . . . .

First, here's what there is in the DT . . .

CARRION CROW

THE TAILOR AND THE CROW

CARRION CROW (2)

A KANGAROO SAT ON AN OAK


Here's some lyrics from other threads . . .

A CARRION CROW SAT IN AN OAK

THE CARRION CROW


And from the Bodleian Library

CARRION CROW Pitts, J. (London) between 1802 and 1819

CARRION CROW Watts, Printer, Lane-End

CARRION CROW Pitts, J. (London) between 1819 and 1844


And from American Memory . . .

SLY YOUNG CROW Boston, Massachusetts: L. Deming


And from Robert Bell

"[This still popular song is quoted by Grose in his Olio, where it
is made the subject of a burlesque commentary, the covert political
allusions having evidently escaped the penetration of the
antiquary. The reader familiar with the annals of the Commonwealth
and the Restoration, will readily detect the leading points of the
allegory. The 'Carrion Crow' in the oak is Charles II., who is
represented as that bird of voracious appetite, because he deprived
the puritan clergy of their livings; perhaps, also, because he
ordered the bodies of the regicides to be exhumed—as Ainsworth
says in one of his ballads:-
The carrion crow is a sexton bold,
He raketh the dead from out of the mould.
The religion of the 'old sow,' whoever she may be, is clearly
pointed out by her little pigs praying for her soul. The 'tailor'
is not easily identified. It is possibly intended for some puritan
divine of the name of Taylor, who wrote and preached against both
prelacy and papacy, but with an especial hatred of the latter. In
the last verse he consoles himself by the reflection that,
notwithstanding the deprivations, his party will have enough
remaining from the voluntary contributions of their adherents. The
'cloak' which the tailor is engaged in cutting out, is the Genevan
gown, or cloak; the 'spoon' in which he desires his wife to bring
treacle, is apparently an allusion to the 'spatula' upon which the
wafer is placed in the administration of the Eucharist; and the
introduction of 'chitterlings and black-puddings' into the last
verse seems to refer to a passage in Rabelais, where the same
dainties are brought in to personify those who, in the matter of
fasting, are opposed to Romish practices. The song is found in
collections of the time of Charles II.]

The carrion crow he sat upon an oak,
And he spied an old tailor a cutting out a cloak.
Heigho! the carrion crow.
The carrion crow he began for to rave,
And he called the tailor a lousy knave!
Heigho! the carrion crow.
'Wife, go fetch me my arrow and my bow,
I'll have a shot at that carrion crow.'
Heigho! the carrion crow.
The tailor he shot, and he missed his mark,
But he shot the old sow through the heart.
Heigho! the carrion crow.
'Wife, go fetch me some treacle in a spoon,
For the old sow's in a terrible swoon!'
Heigho! the carrion crow.
The old sow died, and the bells they did toll,
And the little pigs prayed for the old sow's soul!
Heigho! the carrion crow.
'Never mind,' said the tailor, 'I don't care a flea,
There'll be still black-puddings, souse, and chitterlings for me.'
Heigho! the carrion crow." Robert Bell

---

Here's the Ballad Index entry . . .

Carrion Crow

DESCRIPTION: "A carrion crow (kangaroo) sat on an oak, To my inkum kiddy-cum kimeo, Watching a tailor mend a coat...." The tailor tries to shoot the crow, but misses and kills his old sow. The family mourns the dead animal
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1796 (Francis Grose papers)
KEYWORDS: animal bird death talltale nonsense hunting
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MW,NE,SE,So) Canada(Mar)
REFERENCES (11 citations):
Belden, pp. 270-271, "The Carrion Crow" (2 texts)
Brewster 62, "The Tailor and the Crow" (2 texts)
Creighton/Senior, pp. 244-246, "The Carrion Crow" (2 texts plus 1 fragment, 2 tunes)
Creighton-Maritime, p. 133, "The Carrion Crow" (1 text, 1 tune)
Mackenzie 156, "The Tailor and the Crow" (1 text); "The Carrion Crow" (2 texts)
Linscott, pp. 185-186, "The Carrion Crow" (1 text, 1 tune)
SharpAp 222, "The Carrion Crow" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Lomax-FSNA 72, "The Kangaroo" (1 text, 1 tune)
Opie-Oxford2 87, "A carrion crow sat on an oak" (2 texts)
Baring-Gould-MotherGoose #172, p. 127, "(A carrion crow sat on an oak)"
DT, CARCROW CARCROW2 KANGROO*
Roud #891
RECORDINGS:
Otis High, "Captain Karo" [referred to in notes as "Carrion Crow"] (HandMeDown1)
Margaret MacArthur, "Carrion Crow" (on MMacArthur01)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 12(10), "Carrion Crow" ("As I went forth one May morning"), J. Pitts (London), 1802-1819 ; also 2806 c.18(55), "The Carrion Crow"
LOCSinging, as112630, "Sly Young Crow," L. Deming (Boston), 19C
Notes: A rhyme of the time of Charles I reads, "Hie hoe the carryon crow for I have shot something too low I have quite missed my mark, & shot the poore sow to the harte Wyfe bring treakel in a spoone, or else the poore sowes harte wil downe."
Said piece is regarded as an allegory on Charles's reimposition of high church ritual (and consequent dismissal of Calvinist clergy). Not impossible, in those times -- but whether it inspired this song, or was inspired by it, is not clear. - RBW
File: LoF072

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Two texts from Halliwell, Nursery Rhymes of England (1842)

A CARRION crow sat on an oak,
   Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
Watching a tailor shape his cloak;
   Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
   Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do
Wife, bring me my old bent bow,
   Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
That I may shoot yon carrion crow;
   Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
   Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.
The tailor he shot and missed his mark,
   Fol de riddle, lol de riddle hi ding do;
And shot his own sow quite through the heart,
   Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
   Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.
/ p. 53 /
Wife, bring brandy in a spoon;
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
For our old sow is in a swoon,
    Sing heigh ho, the carrion crow,
    Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

[Another version from MS. Sloane, 1489, fol. 17, written in the time of Charles I.]

HIC hoc, the carrion crow,
For I have shot something too low:
I have quite missed my mark,
And shot the poor sow to the heart;
Wife, bring treacle in a spoon,
Or else the poor sow's heart will down


More to follow, hope others are interested in this, too.

Subject: RE: CARRION CROW
From: Goose Gander
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 12:43 AM

THE OLD SOW'S IN THE CORNER

The old sow's in the corner putting down bread
The pig's out-doors a-combing their heads

Chi flay gilden gilden
Chi flay gilden gay
Up jump uppy and he crawled away
To me ling long ling long chi yaw may

The dog's in the pond a-hollering up frogs
Frog's in the woods a-skinning up logs

I shot the oak and I missed the pine
And I pressed that gourd neck to the vine

I drugged the old sow through the house
And there I had backbones, chittlings and souse

Source:
Morris, Folksongs of Florida (1950) pp.393-395 (version a)

THE CARRION CROW

One day sittin' down a-cuttin' out a coat
Down came a crow, and lit in the oak
Rin-shank-phil-a-dele-ki-mi-o
Ca-ta-la-ro-del-o-ca-o-ki-me-o
Up jumped Jilly with a tore down billy
With a rink-shank-phil-a-delo-ki-mi-o

We shot the old sow right slam to the heart
"Wife, oh wife, let's drag her to the house"
"She'll make us plenty of pudding and souse"

"The bread and meat's all on the shelf
Now if you want any more song
You can sing it yourself"

Source:
Morris, Folksongs of Florida (1950) pp.393-395 (version b)

Notes:
From the singing of Mrs. Irene Harmon, Gainsville.
"Concerning her songs . . . 'They bring back memories of my childhood spent at Callahan. During the long winter evenings while boiling cane juice a crowd often got together and sang first one song then another, just as they came from the lips of the singers. Most of us were related to each other, because most of us were Scotch-Irish and lived there for a long time.'"

Subject: RE: CARRION CROW
From: Goose Gander
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 12:45 AM

LANK DANK

Oh wife, do bring my bow and let me shoot the carrion crow
To my lank dank kit-ty dank ki-mo ki-mo ki-mo ne-ro
Ho-mi-gin-ny ho-mi-gin-ny
Call for the bil-li-lil-li lank dank kit-ty dank ki-mo

I shot and missed the carrion crow
And hit my old sow in the heart
To my lank dank kitty dank kimo

Oh wife, oh wife, go bring some rum
And let me give the old sow some
With a lank dank kitty dank kimo

Oh bring it in a silver spoon
For this old sow's in a mighty tune
With a lank dank kitty dank kimo


From Janie Bernard Couch;
"I think it has an Irish background."

Source:
Arnold, Folksongs of Alabama (1950) p.34

Subject: RE: CARRION CROW
From: Goose Gander
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 12:48 AM

RING DING BILLY DING
Bill Jackson / Arvin, 1941
Voices From the Dust Bowl
(Not classified by Roud, but clearly a variant.)

Ring Ding Billy Ding

Ring-ding-billy-ding cow-hee
Play on little tom, play on he
Call little Bill tum a ring-ding billy ding, cow-hee
Saw a hawk set tin' on a limb
He winked at me and I winked at him
Tum a ring-ding-billy-ding cow-hee
Play on little tom, play on he
Call little Bill tum a ring-ding-billy-ding, cow-hee
Went to the house to get my gun
First at a walk and then at a run
Tum a ring-ding-billy-ding cow-hee
Play on little tom, play on he
Call little Bill tum a ring-ding-billy-ding, cow-hee
Shot at the hawk and missed my mark
Shot my old black sow clean to the heart
Tum a ring-ding-billy-ding cow-hee
Play on little tom, play on he
Call little Bill tum a ring-ding-billy-ding, cow-hee
Buried my old sow under the house
Always had blood pudding and souse
Tum a ring-ding-billy-ding cow-hee
Play on little tom, play on he
Call little Bill tum a ring-ding-billy-ding, cow-hee
My saddle and bridle hangin' under the shelf
If you want any more you can sing it yourself
Tum a ring-ding-billy-ding cow-hee
Play on little tom, play on he
Call little Bill tum a ring-ding-billy-ding, cow-hee

From Voices From the Dust Bowl

Subject: RE: CARRION CROW
From: Goose Gander
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 01:01 AM

What the heck, here are most of the references from the Roud Index. I tried to skip the ones that seemed to be doubles, or that are found in manuscripts not readily available (at least not to me).

CARRION CROW
Roud 891

Mackenzie, Ballads & Sea Songs from Nova Scotia (1928) pp.375-378

Belden, Ballads & Songs...Missouri (1904) pp.270-271 (version b)

Williams, Folk Songs of the Upper Thames (1923) p.227

Dixon & Bell, Ballads & Songs of the Peasantry of England pp.202-203

Long, Dialect of the Isle of Wight pp.160-161

Baring-Gould, Garland of Country Song (1895) pp.102-103

Karpeles, Cecil Sharp Collection 2 p.396 (version a)

Karpeles, Crystal Spring p.129

Creighton, Maritime Folk Songs (1961) p.133

English Dance & Song 29:4 (1967) p.105

Mackenzie, Ballads & Sea Songs from Nova Scotia (1928) pp.375-378 (version b)

Creighton & Senior, Traditional Songs of Nova Scotia (1950) pp.244-246 (version a)

Fowke & Johnston, Folk Songs of Canada 2 (1967) pp.162-163

Creighton & Senior, Traditional Songs of Nova Scotia (1950) pp.244-246 (version b)

Creighton & Senior, Traditional Songs of Nova Scotia (1950) pp.244-246 (version c)

Sharp, English Folk-Songs Southern Appalachians 2 pp.324-325 (version a)

Sharp, English Folk-Songs Southern Appalachians 2 pp.324-325 (version b)

Linscott, Folk Songs of Old New England pp.185-186

Abernethy, Singin' Texas pp.15-16

Payne: Pubns. of the Texas Folklore Society 6 (1927) pp.230-231

Belden, Ballads & Songs...Missouri (1904) pp.270-271 (version a)

Owens, Texas Folk Songs (2nd edn.) p.145

Brewster, Ballads & Songs of Indiana (1940) pp.290-292 (version a)

Journal of English Folk Dance & Song Society 1:3 (1934) pp.136-137

Reeves, Everlasting Circle (1960) p.256

Purslow, Marrow Bones (1965) p.86

Mackenzie, Ballads & Sea Songs from Nova Scotia (1928) pp.375-378

Brewster, Ballads & Songs of Indiana (1940) pp.290-292 (version b)

Folkways FES 34151 (`Hand-Me-Down Music 1')

Campbell & Sharp, English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians (1917) p.320

Burstow, Reminiscences of Horsham (1911) p.117

Jameson, Sweet Rivers of Song pp.38-39

Opie, Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1951) pp.111-112

Halliwell, Nursery Rhymes of England (Bodley Head reprint of c1870 edn.) pp.85-86 (version a)

Halliwell, Nursery Rhymes of England (Bodley Head reprint of c1870 edn.) pp.85-86 (version b)

Lomax, Folk Songs of North America (1960) p.142

Pound, Folk-Song of Nebraska ... Syllabus p.13

Morris: Southern Folklore Quarterly 8 (1944) pp.175-176

Owens, Texas Folk Songs pp.259-260

Sharp, Nursery Songs from the Southern Appalachians 2 (1923) pp.20-21

Niles, Songs of the Hill-Folk (1934) pp.18-19

Baring Gould & Sharp, English Folk-Songs for Schools (1906) pp.98-99

Halli, An Alabama Songbook (2004) pp.163-164

Sharp, Seventeen Nursery Songs from the Appalachian Mountains [n.d.] pp.14-15

Halliwell, Nursery Rhymes & Nursery Tales of England (5th edn. c1870) p.46

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Fidjit
Date: 09 Feb 07 - 01:44 PM

Well you worked hard!

I like the Alfred William's one

Has a line in it.

"Rogue Go Back"!

Royal refference??
Alfred William's says it was know in Shakespeares time ??

Chas

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Fidjit
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 07:59 AM

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Flash Company
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 09:56 AM

Heard one which went as follows:-

Oh the carrion crow he sat upon the oak
With a ring dong dilly dong kyro dee
Watching the tailor mending his cloak
With a ring dong dilly dong kyro dee,
Hi fa-lee, fa-lee, fa-lero,
Hi fa-lero lero lee,
And it's up jumps Tom, Ringing of his bell
With a ring dong dilly dong kyro dee!

(All the nonsense words repeat in each verse, the meat of it goes thus)

Oh wife bring me my old bent bow
That I may shoot at the carrion crow

The tailor shot but he missed his mark
And he shot his old sow straight through the heart

Oh wife bring brandy in a spoon
For our old sow is in a swoon

When the old sow died all the bells did toll
And the little pigs wept for their mammy's soul

Kids love it, but if you can get a good adult audience to sing harmony it sounds great.

FC

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Goose Gander
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 12:36 AM

Halliwell offers the following immediately after the 1489 text, but I'm not sure about the relationship between the two . . .

There was a crow sat on a stone,
He flew away and there was none.
There was a man that ran a race,
When he ran fast, he ran apace.
There was a mayd, that eate an apple,
When she eate two she eate a couple.
There was an ape sate on a tree,
When he fell downe, then downe fell hee.
There was a fleet that went to Spaine,
When it return'd it came againe.

Joseph Mede, Chr. Coll. July 1, 1626, (MS. Harl. 390, f. 85)

Source:
Halliwell, Popular Rhymes & Nursery Tales of England, p. 12

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 09:40 PM

Halliwell's second example is not from 1489; that is the manuscript reference number. The date is c.1627.

The verses you quote above are not related except insofar as they mention a crow.

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Goose Gander
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 11:03 PM

OK, now I see my error. The reference to Charles I should have made that clear, but I was careless (Halliwell himself did not offer a specific date, at least not in the edition of Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales that I have).

I do realize that the verses I posted are not directly related to the Carrion Crow, hence my comment, but because Halliwell printed those verses directly after the text from the Sloane manuscript I posted them. He gave no commentary regarding the relationship between the two but - for what it's worth - the opening line "there was a crow sate on a stone" is fairly close in form to opening lines in many versions of Carrion Crow in which the crow (or some other bird) sits on a stone or log near someone thus beginning the narrative.

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Richie
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 11:31 PM

Here are some notes with lyrics from my database (sorry there is no source given). The assertion that the title Kangaroo is a mishearing of Carrion Crow in interesting:



Rose Tree / Kangaroo / Morpeth Rant ~ The Rose Tree comes from a song, The Rose Tree in Full Bearing, which became popular after it was heard as part of the 1782-3 comic opera The Poor Soldier. We considered the lyrics to be just a little too sappy, and opted for an instrumental version.
Kangaroo is a later version of the song Carrion Crow, which dates back to the time of the Restoration. Some historians have supposed that the Carrion Crow was King Charles, and the song veiled political commentary on his persecution of Puritan clergy (among others).(1) However, by the time the song had emigrated to America, the allegory had been forgotten, and the words "carrion crow" had been corrupted into "kangaroo." We can't help but wonder if anyone ever questioned the presence of a kangaroo up in an oak tree, but such nonsense is the lifeblood of folk songs. The tune is from an old English Morris dance called London Pride. (9)
A rant is a dance tune similar to a reel, but with a four-bar, rather than an eight-bar phrase. Morpeth Rant was was named for the town of Morpeth in Northumbria and has been attributed to William Shield (1748-1849). It has had at least two dances written specifically for it and is still a popular tune in contra dance repertoire.

A kangaroo sat on an oak,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo,
Watching a tailor mend his coat,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo.

Chorus:
Kimi neero kiddy kum keero.
Kimi neero kimo
Ba ba ba ba billy illy inkum,
ikum kiddy kum kimo.

Bring me my arrow and my bow,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo,
Till I go shoot that kangarow,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo,

The old man fired; he missed his mark,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo,
He shot the old sow through the heart,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo

Bring me some 'lasses in a spoon,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo,
So I can heal that old sow's wound,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo,

Oh, now the old sow's dead and gone,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo,
Her little ones go waddling on,
To my inkum kiddy kum kimo.

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Fidjit
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 08:32 AM

So who was the, "Rogue" in the, - Rogue, go back ! - part of the song collected by Alfred Williams?

The Carrion Crow and the Tailor

An old carrion crow was sitting on an oak,
Watching a tailor cutting out his cloak.
Rogue, go back !
The carrion crow cried "Pork."

The carrion crow he began to rave,
And he called the tailor a lousy knave.
Rogue, go back !
The carrion crow cried "Pork."

Said the tailor, "Go and fetch me my quiver and my bow,
That I might shoot the old carrion crow."
Rogue, go back !
The carrion crow cried "Pork."

So the tailor fired and missed his mark,
And shot the old sow right through the heart.
Rogue, go back !
The carrion crow cried "Pork."

Then he said, "Go, fetch me some treacle in a spoon,
For our old sow's in a d---n poor tune."
Rogue, go back !
The carrion crow cried "Pork."

Now our old sow's dead I don't care a louse,
Fow we shall have black-pudding, chitlings, and souse.
Rogue, go back !
The carrion crow cried "Pork."



Chas

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Goose Gander
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 09:05 PM

Some more variants from Texas and Missouri . . . .


SAW AN OLD CROW

Saw an old crow sittin' in an oak
Watchin' a tailor out a cloak
And a colly milly dilly ky yo
Ay flay ro dill to kay ro
Up jumped come along colly milly dilly ky ro
Flay ro dill to men

Me and my wife sprang to the house
To make some cool blood pudding and a souse
And a colly milly dilly ky yo
Ay flay ro dill to kay ro
Up jumped come along colly milly dilly ky ro
Flay ro dill to men

Sung by Mrs. Imogene Hyde, Calvert, Texas, 1938.

Source:
William A. Owens, Texas Folk Songs (Dallas: SMU Press, 1950), p. 145


KIMONARO

There was an old man and he lived on a hill
Tim-a-linny-danny, finny-danny, kimo
And if he's not moved he's living there still
Tim-a-linny-danny, finny-danny, kimo
Kimonaro nelton karo kimo
A-hum-a-jum a-fum-a-jum a-fike-ta-ma-ling-dum
Dilly-lally-lingdum, kimo

He called to his wife for his arrow and bow
That he might shoot that carrion crow

He set his arrow straight to the mark
And shot their fat hog right through the heart

'Old woman, old woman, some brandy in a spoon
Or our fat hog will die very soon.'

'If our old hog dies we'll haul him to the house
And we'll have pudding and chitlings and souse.'

Notes:
"Sent to me in 1906 by Elizabeth Bedford of Christian County. No tune is given, but the refrain shows that it was sung to one of the tunes of The Frog's Courtship."



CARRION CROW

Carrion crow a-sittin' on an oak
Lala diddle lala diddle li dol lo
Carrion crow a-sittin' on an oak
Spyin' a tailor a-cuttin' out a coat
Sing heigh ho! Carrion crow!
Lala diddle lala diddle li dol lo

'Wife, O wife, fetch my arrow and my bow
Till I take a shot at the carrion crow.'

He fired away and he missed his mark
And shot his old sow through the heart

'Wife, O wife, bring some brandy in a spoon,
For my old sow's in a devil of a tune.'

Notes:
"Secured by Miss Hamilton at Kirksdale in 1912 from a Mrs. Ballard of La Plata, Vernon County, who learned it from her parents. Note that it has not the 'kimokaro' refrain.'

Source:
Henry Belden, Ballads and Songs Collected by Missouri Folk-Lore Society (Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Studies, 1940; reprint 1955), p. 270-271

Subject: RE: Origins: Carrion Crow
From: Goose Gander
Date: 22 Feb 07 - 12:20 AM

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes (c.1820). Published by Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh

(scroll over to the right to see the linked text and engraving)

No. 10, TAILOR AND CROW

A carrion crow sat on an oak
Watching a tailor shape his cloak
"Wife," cried he, "bring me my bow,
That I may shoot you carrion crow."

The tailor shot and missed his mark
And shot his own sow through the heart
"Wife, bring me some brandy in a spoon;
For our poor old sow is in a swoon."