|
08 Sep 97 - 02:57 AM (#11963) Subject: ADD: The Ploughboy From: Murray Just in case you're still looking for the "Ploughboy" song, and even if you're not, it needs to be in the DT anyway, here's my transcription from the Benjamin Britten-Peter Pears record: A flaxen-headed cow-boy, as simple as may be, And next a jolly ploughboy, I whistled o'er the lea. But now a saucy footman I strut in worsted lace, And soon I'll be a butler, and whey my jolly face; When steward I'm promoted, I'll snip the tradesman's bill, My master's coffers empty, my pockets for to fill. When lolling in my chariot, so great a man I'll be, So great a man, so great a man, so great a man I'll be, You'll forget the little ploughboy who whistled o'er the lea, You'll forget the little ploughboy who whistled o'er the lea. I'll buy votes at elections, and when I've paid my pelf, I'll stand forth for the parliament, and then vote in myself. Whatever's good for me, sir, I never will oppose, When all my ayes are sold off, why then I'll sell my noes. I'll joke, harangue and paragraph, with speeches charm the ear, And when I'm tired on my legs, then I'll sit down a peer. In court or city honour, so great a man I'll be, So great a man, so great a man, so great a man I'll be, You'll forget the little ploughboy who whistled o'er the lea, You'll forget the little ploughboy, who whistled o'er the lea. -- it's a rather pungent commentary on the (then) awful system of elections for parliament. Not that times have changed that much!! Hope this suits. Susan & Co., please add this gem to the database. Britten's arrangement has to be heard, though, it's really delightful. |
|
08 Sep 97 - 11:47 AM (#11978) Subject: RE: The Ploughboy Revisited From: Bruce I don't have full text of original, but this is basically from O'Keeffe/ Shields 'The Farmer', 1788. |
|
08 Sep 97 - 07:28 PM (#12002) Subject: RE: The Ploughboy Revisited From: Bruce Whoops, I put an 's' at the end of Wm. Shield's name. O'Keefe's song was more popular on single sheet issues than in songbooks. It was called "The Plough Boy" or "The Flaxen-headed Plough Boy". BUCEM list copies under SHIELD/The Farmer, and under FARMER. |
|
08 Sep 97 - 10:55 PM (#12019) Subject: RE: The Ploughboy Revisited From: dick greenhaus Murray (and Bruce)- thanx much. Tho' it seems to me that describing the song as THE ploughboy song is something like referring to THE Christmas carol (or possibly THE dirty joke.) Good song, though (despite my mean-spirited carping) |
|
08 Sep 97 - 11:56 PM (#12021) Subject: RE: The Ploughboy Revisited From: Bruce This is by no means the only song of O'Keeffe's that has turned up in a traditional version. Also from 'The Farmer' is "Ere around the Huge Oak", p. 83, in A. Williams, 'Folksongs of the Upper Thames'. "Old Towler, FSUT p. 61, is from 'The Czar Peter'. O'Keefe also (first) used many tunes that were later collected with folksongs e.g., "Madam Casey" ("The British lion is my sign"), for which see S.P. Bayard's 'Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife', #555 (Bayard didn't know source of tune was O'Keefe's song.) 'Poor Soldier' gave 1st known printing of many old Irish tunes which O'Keefe knew. When Samuel Arnold was his composer/arraigner we are in better shape, because Arnold always identified popular tunes by title. Tune for folksong "The Keeper" is "All amongst the leaves so green, O" in O'Keefe/Arnold's 'Castle of Andalusia', 1782, there, for O'Keefe's song "In the Forest here hard by". [The Ploughman, The Ploughman's Whistle, and The Plough Boy, like The Country Wedding, The Irish Wedding, The Wedding Song, The Honeymoon, The Rose, and several others are generic titles, which unfortunately do not come to us with identification numbers so we can keep them straight.] |
|
09 Sep 97 - 02:14 AM (#12025) Subject: RE: The Ploughboy Revisited From: Bruce I turned up a copy of O'Keefe's song in 'The Universal Songster', I, p. 438, 1828. There are only a few small differences from Murray's text. Title there is "The Little Ploughboy That Whistled O'er The Lea." It is credited to O'Keefe, but no mention is made of a tune. |
|
09 Sep 97 - 02:51 AM (#12026) Subject: RE: The Ploughboy Revisited From: Murray Thanks, Bruce, for getting the dates right, etc. I knew it was from some play or other but couldn't remember which. Maybe the only question now is, where did Benjamin Britten get the song in the first place? He did say, I know, that his famous [and cliche'd] [damn the lack of accents!!] "The Foggy Foggy Dew" was got by a friend in some anonymous Suffolk pub. |
|
09 Sep 97 - 12:39 PM (#12041) Subject: RE: The Ploughboy Revisited From: Bruce Thanks, but my date may be wrong. I took it from BUCEM, which is wrong for 'The Poor Soldier'. Roger Fiske, 'English Theatre Music in the 18th Century' gives the date as 1787. Fiske's dates are usually date of first performance, rather than date of publication. |
|
01 Mar 03 - 11:43 AM (#901109) Subject: RE: The Ploughboy Revisited From: GUEST,Newfiegirl "On The Banks Of Sweet Tralee" Mary had a ploughboy young Willie was his name, it was by his cruel old Uncle as you may understand who had request and send to sea far from his Native land. He had not been long sailing when a French ship hove in sight, The Captian called all hands on deck to view the glories sight. young Willie like a seaman bold got lumbered in the lee, He's going to search for Mary on the Banks of Sweet Tralee. The French ship hauled her colors down and ran before the wind, like hardy tired and seaman bold they gained that victory, Like hardy tired and seaman bold they gained that victory, His mind was fixed on Mary on the Banks of Sweet Tralee. Blue jacket and blue trousers young Willie then put on, went straight onto that very same house where Mary did belong. Saying, "Mary dear take pity on a sailor lad like me, who's in the state of starving on the banks of Sweet Tralee." "Oh yes I will take pity on a sailor lad 'said she, for once I had a true love'young Willie was his name. Was by his curel old Uncle as you may understand, who had request and sent and send to sea far from his Native Land." "If Willie was your true loves name I know that young man well, a bullet from a Frenchmans gun on the battle field he fell. And as he lay I heard him say, how cruel must they be? to part me with my Mary on the Banks of Sweet Tralee." Soon as she heard him say these words 'she fell in deep dispair, the ringing of her lily white hands the tearing of her hair. Saying, "since he's gone and left me, no other man I'll take, through lonesome hills and vallies I'll wander for his sake." Soon as he heard her say those words he could no longer stand, he fell into her arms saying, "Mary I'm your man." The bells did ring and the birds did sing as they sang so merrily, to see this young couple get married on the Banks of Sweet Tralee. |