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08 Jul 00 - 12:24 AM (#253915) Subject: Jolly Waggonner From: GUEST,Big Malc Hi, I am trying to find 'The Jolly Waggonner' a song about the joys of the open road in a horse and cart. Chorus: Sing Wo me lads sing Wo Ride on me lads ride on Who wouldn't be for all the world a jolly waggonner Any help appreciated |
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08 Jul 00 - 07:34 AM (#254006) Subject: Lyr Add: THE JOLLY WAGGONERS^^ From: Jeri The following is from https://mainlynorfolk.info/watersons/songs/thejollywaggoner.html Garry Gillard's Watersons Page, which, IMO, is incredibly well done and a great resource. Maybe someone can help with the "(?)" in the last verse? (Is spelling it "waggoner" instead of "wagoner" a UK thing? An old way of spelling? Just mis-spelling? I'm not being difficult, just curious.) THE JOLLY WAGGONERS (see corrections below)
When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go
chorus
When it's belting down with rain my lads I get wetted to the skin chorus
Well things is greatly altered now and wagons few are seen chorus
Ay things is greatly altered now but then what can us do chorus
Well Martinmas is coming lads what pleasures we shall see chorus^^ |
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08 Jul 00 - 10:50 AM (#254064) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Malcolm Douglas That would be "Like chaff before the wind". It certainly sounds like "caff" or "calf" on the recording, so I checked with another version (in Roy Palmer's English Country Songs) so as to be sure. I'd be inclined to "whoa" rather than "woe", since horses are involved. "Waggon(er)" is an alternative spelling, not used so much nowadays though still current. Malcolm |
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08 Jul 00 - 07:10 PM (#254251) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: GUEST,BIG Malc Many thanks to you both..... what a small world we live in Lyrics next day... marvellous thanks again!!!!
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09 Jul 00 - 06:43 PM (#254734) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: phil jl The words to the last verse that I recall are:
Well Martinmas is coming lads and soon we'll have a spree When ever my family get together this song is invariably sung – we even recorded it (along with 10 or so other favorites) for my father on his 75th birthday a few years ago. None of us have experienced the life of a waggoner – it's just a great song. Phil^^ |
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09 Jul 00 - 07:08 PM (#254745) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Stewie As Malcolm said, it sounds like he's singing 'calf' in the last stanza, but surely it must mean 'chaff' which, according to definition 5 in the Maquarie Dictionary, is also a colloquial term for 'money'. --Stewie. |
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10 Jul 00 - 10:37 PM (#255495) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Garry Gillard This is an exhilarating moment for me: the first discussion in the Mudcat Cafe of one of my several hundred transcriptions.
Thanks VERY much to Jeri for your kind remarks. I'm glad you like it: it represents many hours days weeks and months of my life.
Thanks to Malcolm Douglas for your comments. I remember thinking about "woe" (which is in the first stanza) and "whoa" (which is contradicted by the rest of the line). I rather like BigMalc's suggestion of "wo", actually, but I've followed the erudite MD and put "whoa".
As for "waggon": the COED prefers "wagon", but I've followed Topic's editor, out of respect.
cheers, Garry
Jolly WaggonersWhen first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go
When it's belting down with rain, my lads, I get wetted to the skin
Well, things is greatly altered now and waggons few are seen
Ay, things is greatly altered now but then what can us do
Well, Martinmas is coming, lads, what pleasures we shall see
Acknowledgements
Transcribed by Garry Gillard. Corrections following discussion in the Mudcat Café. |
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11 Jul 00 - 12:09 AM (#255528) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Malcolm Douglas And thanks to you, Garry, for your sterling work. All the best Malcolm |
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11 Jul 00 - 04:50 PM (#255953) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: GUEST,s.willis@virgin.net Garry Gillard, who I help occasionally with transcription - particularly in relation to my native north Yorkshire dialect - has alerted me to this thread. The disputed word in the last verse is definitely "chaff", but Mike Waterson uses the north and east Yorkshire pronunciation "kaff". Steve Willis s.willis@virgin.net |
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07 Jan 10 - 12:14 AM (#2805478) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Goose Gander THE JOLLY WAGGONER When first I went a-waggoning, a-wagging did go I filled my parents hearts with grief, with sorrow, care and woe And many are the hardships that I have since gone through Sing woah, sing woah Drive on, my lads, hi ho Who wouldn't lead a life like we jolly waggoners do? Now winter is a-coming on, much hardship it will bring We'll jog along our weary way until we reach the inn We'll sit down by the old inn fire with landlord and his kin Sing woah . . . Now springtime is a-coming on, how pleasant it will be The songbirds sing so loud and clear from every greenwood tree And every lad will take a lass and jog her on his knee Sing woah . . . Now summer is a coming on, we'll pleasure also find We'll make the gold to fly, my boys, like chaff before the wind And then return back home again to wife and children kind Sing woah . . . From the singing of Walter Pardon, from 'A World Without Horses' CD (Topic Records). |
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07 Jan 10 - 02:21 AM (#2805512) Subject: RE: Jolly Waggonner From: Artful Codger Can someone post the words as given in Palmer's English Country Songs? Or did he get them from the Watersons or Walter Pardon? |
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07 Jan 10 - 02:31 AM (#2805515) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: GUEST,Reinhard According to folkinfo.org, Roy Palmer's words are When first I was a wagg'ner And a wagg'ner I did go, I filled my parents' hearts Full of sorrow, grief and woe; I filled my parents' hearts Full of sorrow, grief and woe. Chorus: So sing, whoa, my lads, sing whoa Drive on, my lads, heigh-o; There is none can lead a life Like we jolly wagg'ners do So sing, whoa, my lads, sing whoa Drive on, my lads, heigh-o; There is none can lead a life Like we jolly wagg'ners do It's a cold and stormy night, I was wet unto the skin; I'll bear it with contentment Till we get to the inn And then we'll get a drink With our landlord and our friends. Now summer time is coming, boys, What pleasure we should see The small birds are a-whistling On every green tree. The backbirds and the thrushes O Are whistling in the grove. Now Michaelmas is coming, boys, What pleasure we shallfind, We'll make the gold and silver fly Like chaff before the wind Then every lad shall take his lass And set her on his knee. Source: Everyman's Book of English Country Songs, Ed Roy Plamer, ISBN 0-460-12048-1 Notes: Roy Palmer altered the words of the first verse. "In verse 1, line 1 'when' has been substituted for 'oh' and in the last line of the same verse 'none' for 'more'" Collected from Mr Rose, landlord of Bridge Inn, Acle Norfolk, 14.4.1908 by Ralph Vaughan Williams, MS I 34(2) Roud: 1088 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six Laws: Child: |
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07 Jan 10 - 03:24 AM (#2805532) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Artful Codger Thanks, Reinhard! |
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07 Jan 10 - 04:05 PM (#2805993) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Goose Gander Just for fun, here's the Jolly Waggoner performed by the Young 'Uns at the Sedgfield Cricket Club. |
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08 Jan 10 - 10:40 AM (#2806624) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Joe Nicholson Many were the hardships that I did undergo rhymes with filled me poor old parents hearts with sorrow grief and woe. That's how I seemed to have heard it. Joe Nicholson |
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08 Jan 10 - 10:49 AM (#2806629) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Goose Gander Looks like there's just one version from tradition in North America, sung by Petey Lease and collected by Henry Shoemaker in Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania (1931) pp.309-310. Does anyone have access to that one? |
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09 Jan 10 - 02:45 PM (#2807649) Subject: Lyr Add: THE JOLLY WAGGONER From: Jim Dixon From Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England by Robert Bell (London: John W. Parker and Son, 1857), page 208: THE JOLLY WAGGONER. (This country song can be traced back a century at least, but is, no doubt, much older. It is very popular in the West of England. The words are spirited and characteristic. We may, perhaps, refer the song to the days of transition, when the waggon displaced the packhorse.) 1. When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go, I filled my parents' hearts full of sorrow, grief, and woe, And many are the hardships that I have since gone through. CHORUS: And sing wo, my lads, sing wo! Drive on my lads, I-ho! And who wouldn't lead the life of a jolly waggoner? 2. It is a cold and stormy night, and I'm wet to the skin. I will bear it with contentment till I get unto the inn, And then I'll get a-drinking with the landlord and his kin. 3. Now summer it is coming. What pleasure we shall see! The small birds are a-singing on every green tree. The blackbirds and the thrushes are a-whistling merrilie. 4. Now Michaelmas is coming. What pleasure we shall find! It will make the gold to fly, my boys, like chaff before the wind, And every lad shall take his lass, so loving and so kind. |
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09 Jan 10 - 05:40 PM (#2807815) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: Goose Gander Thanks, Jim. |
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29 Nov 12 - 03:01 PM (#3444458) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: GUEST,Pete Foster At a folk night I went to in the sixties, the Cartford Hotel near Blackpool, the last verse was sung as: But whitsuntide is comming we'll go out on the spree With liquor and strong ale, we'll make our money flee And every lad shall take his lass and have her on his knee |
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02 Feb 14 - 07:11 AM (#3597550) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggonner From: GUEST,Terry Hobday. I should think it would be 'chaff' before the wind. |
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03 Apr 16 - 11:33 PM (#3783201) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggoner From: JenBurdoo Does anyone have the chords to this one? |
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04 Apr 16 - 04:46 AM (#3783242) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggoner From: Leadfingers THE JOLLY WAGGONER C G C When first I went a-waggoning, a-waggoning did go, G C I filled my parents' hearts with sorrow, grief and woe, F C F G And many are the hardsips that we must undergo, C And sing woa! My lads, sing woa! F Drive on, my lads, I, o! C G C And who can lead a life like the jolly waggoners do? |
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04 Apr 16 - 09:47 AM (#3783311) Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Jolly Waggoner From: JenBurdoo Thanks! Very workable! (Goes off to practice) |