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28 Aug 11 - 08:44 PM (#3214259) Subject: Lyr Req: Help to identify a folk song From: GUEST,Jon Hi, I remember (very vaguely i'm afraid) singing a song around a campfire when i was young. The song was about a son who had eaten some poison berries. Any ideas about which song this might be ? Jon |
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28 Aug 11 - 10:36 PM (#3214286) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Help to identify a folk song From: mg not the one about poison beans is it? Henry my son.. What did she feed you henry my son etc. mg |
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28 Aug 11 - 10:43 PM (#3214288) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Help to identify a folk song From: Doug Chadwick The "Henry my son" that I know is about eating eels that turned out to be snakes - but it is a really good campfire song. It's basically a reworking of "Lord Randal". DC |
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28 Aug 11 - 11:27 PM (#3214296) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: mg in one version it is definitely poison beans. mg |
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29 Aug 11 - 05:09 AM (#3214364) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: GUEST Yes that's the one. Fantastic - thanks guys!! |
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29 Aug 11 - 01:56 PM (#3214629) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: Joe Offer There are so many interestingly grisly variations of this song. Jon, now that we've enlightened you, can you find something close to the version you heard, or can you recall any other snippets? Did you sing a "mother make my bed soon" version? What was the gist of the story in your song? Did the girlfriend poison him with berries? Did he disinherit her? -Joe- |
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29 Aug 11 - 03:06 PM (#3214679) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: TheSnail Was it the one mentioned in thia thread? |
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29 Aug 11 - 04:58 PM (#3214737) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: Paul Davenport Who gave you poison berries, Henry my boy? Father gave them to me sweet mother So make my bed, I've got a pain in my head And I want to lie down and die So goodbye, dear mother, goodbye Coll. 1994, Maltby, South Yorkshire UK from 12 yr old Jodie Booth who learned it from her grandfather Pub. South Riding Song Book - 1996 Any help? |
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30 Aug 11 - 03:37 AM (#3214995) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: Jim Carroll AS Doug Chadwick says, Lord Rndal (Child 12). The East London childrens' version the chorus Muvver be quick cos I wanna be sick, And lay me down and die. Jim Carroll |
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30 Aug 11 - 02:39 PM (#3215338) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: Kevin Sheils We had a parrot called Henry. 'Cause he was green and yellow |
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30 Aug 11 - 03:54 PM (#3215401) Subject: ADD Version: Henry My Son From: Joe Offer How many people caught the joke in Henry's name, Kevin? -Joe- P.S. Paul Davenport, thanks for that version. I don't think it has been posted here. If you'd like to post the whole thing, that would be a very nice contribution. Maybe that version is very similar to this one from the Musical Traditions CD, The Birds Upon the Tree: 5. Henry my Son (Roud 10, Child 12, Greig 209, Sharp 4) Fred Jordan. Washwell Cottage, Corve Dale, Shropshire, 1964. 'Where have you been all day, Henry my son? Where have you been all day, my beloved one?' 'In the meadow, in the meadow. Oh, make my bed, I've a pain in my head, And I want to lie down.' 'Who gave you poison berries, Henry my son? Who gave you poisoned berries, my beloved one?' 'Sister, mother. Sister, mother. Make my bed, I've a pain in my head, And I want to lie down.' 'What will you give your father, Henry my son? 'What will you give your father, my beloved one?' A rope to hang him, a rope to hang him. Make my bed, I've a pain in my head, And I want to lie down.' 'What will you give your mother, Henry my son? 'What will you give your mother, my beloved one?' 'All my jewels, all my jewels. Make my bed, I've a pain in my head, And I want to lie down.' 'How will you have your grave, Henry my son? How will you have your grave, my beloved one?' 'Deep and narrow, deep and narrow. Oh, make my bed, I've a pain in my head, And I want to lie down.' Professor Child called this Lord Randal and gives over a dozen examples. Attempts have been made in the past to try to tie this ballad to an actual event, usually to the family of Ranulf, sixth Earl of Chester (d.1232), but as it is known in one form or another all over Europe, this has never been successful. Child noted that the ballad was popular in Italy c.1629, so it is probably quite an old story. Like the ballad Edward (Roud 200. Child 13), we have little idea of what actually lies behind this apparently motiveless murder. Not that this has bothered singers, who continue to enjoy the piece. Usually we find that the ballad's victim has been poisoned by eating either 'sma fish', snakes or eels. But Fred's version, with its 'poison berries', reminds us of another Shropshire version, Ray Driscoll's The Wild, Wild Berry (EFDSS CD02 A Century of Song). There are quite a number of other versions available at the moment, including those by George Spicer (MTCD 311-2), George Dunn (MTCD 317-8), Gordon Hall (Country Branch CBCD095) and Joe Heaney (Topic TSCD518D - this latter being sung in Irish). Jeannie Robertson's superb version, Lord Donald, is regretfully only available in a truncated form (along with similar versions from Elizabeth Cronin, Thomas Moran, Colm McDonagh and Eirlys & Eddis Thomas) on the CD Classic Ballads of Britain & Ireland - volume 1 (Rounder CD 1775). |
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05 Apr 14 - 06:18 PM (#3615812) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: GUEST,Donna, Cudworth, Barnsley My Dad sung this song once to me when i was around 10 yrs old. I'd never heard such a moving song and had tears rolling down my cheeks. After many searches my aunty recalled the song as having learned it in the childrens home they were placed in at Nether Orf. A lasting memory for them as children an me to as my fathers daughter |
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05 Apr 14 - 06:44 PM (#3615825) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: GUEST Nether Orf is not far from Folk Orf. |
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22 Nov 17 - 01:27 PM (#3889784) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: GUEST,Belgy1972 I remember the poison berries version from when I was a child and have been looking for the version mentioned at the start myself, it is not the one above as the end line is. Just like my head is thumping in my bed i will lay down and die or similar to this anyway. I know we’ve moved on from this but it’s doing my nut in hahaha |
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23 Nov 17 - 05:48 AM (#3889923) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: GUEST,Mark Bluemel Green and yeller Green and yeller Oh mother be quick, I wanna be sick and lay me down to die. From the Yetties, I think.. |
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23 Nov 17 - 06:25 AM (#3889930) Subject: RE: Help to identify a folk song-poison berries From: Jim Carroll Traditional adult version HERE Jim Carroll |