Subject: RE: Origins: Pit Boots / Navvy Boots
From: Joe Offer
Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song, also known as "Courting Coat:
Courting Coat, The
DESCRIPTION: The singer takes his girl to bed while still in his (pit boots/navvy boots/courting coat). She fears pregnancy ("the baby will come with his pit boots on"); he laughs it off -- but runs away, still wearing the boots. Women are warned to bewareAUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1907 (Reeves-Sharp)
LONG DESCRIPTION: The singer (shaves and) dresses up, (by the light of the moon) arrives at his girl's window, and takes her to bed while still in his (pit boots/navvy boots/courting coat). She fears pregnancy ("the baby will come with his pit boots on"); he laughs it off -- but runs away, still wearing the boots. Women are warned to "beware of them colliers who are easy and free"
KEYWORDS: courting sex warning pregnancy mining worker clothes
FOUND IN: Britain(England(North,South),Scotland(Aber,Hebr,High)) Ireland
REFERENCES (5 citations):
GreigDuncan4 787, "The Courtin' Coat" (2 texts plus a single verse on p. 541)
MacSeegTrav 34, "The Courting Coat" (1 text, 1 tune)
Reeves-Sharp 53, "The Kettle Smock" (1 text)
Kennedy 171, "The Bold English Navvy" (1 text, 1 tune plus a fragment in the appendix)
DT, NAVVYBTS* NAVVYBOT*
Roud #516
RECORDINGS:
Liam Clancy, "Navvy Boots On" (on IRLClancy01)
Mary Delaney, "Navvy Shoes" (on IRTravellers01)
A. L. Lloyd, "With Me Pit Boots On" (on Lloyd1) (on IronMuse1)
Jimmy McBeath, "The Bold English Navvy" (on Voice10)
James McDermott, "With the Old Navvy Boots On" (on IRHardySons)
Lal Smith, "The Bold English Navvy" (on FSB2 [misprinted as "The Bold English Navy"], FSB2CD)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Rambleaway" (lyrics)
cf. "Oh, No, Not I" (lyrics)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Kettle Smock
The Moon Shining Brightly
Navvy Boots
NOTES: Between plot and lyrics (the girl's greeting and warning; also the way the young man dresses up), this makes me think it might be a sailor's/miner's adaption of "Rambleaway." - RBW
It may well be related, but inasmuch as there are few lyrics in common, and "Pit Boots" and its relatives are always sung from the man's point of view whereas "Rambleaway" is usually from the woman's, I think they qualify as separate songs.
I don't see any connection with "Rambleaway" other than the fellow's character. I don't see any words that "Rambleaway" has in common with any versions of "The Courting Coat" I've seen. - PJS
In McDermott's version on IRHardySons the singer is, at the end, brought to court and forced to pay five bob a week support. - BS
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The first version in the DT is from Sedley's Seeds of Love - any corrections?
NAVVY BOOTS
A digging and a-picking as I was one day
The thought of my true love it led me astray.
The day it was gone and the night coming on
And I hit for the road with my navvy boots on.
I knocked at my love's window, my knock she did know
And out of her slumber she wakened so slow.
I knocked there again, and she said " Is that John? "
" Yes indeed it's me with my navvy boots on. "
She opened the door and invited me in
" Draw up to the fire and warm your skin. "
The bedroom door was open and the blankets turned down
And I rolled into bed with my navvy boots on.
Then early the next morning at the dawn of the day,
Says I to my true love, " It's time to go away. "
" Sleep down, sleep down, you know you've done wrong
For to sleep here at night with your navvy boots on. "
O I bent down my head with a laugh and a smile
Saying "What could I do, love, in that length of time?
For all that I've done it was just a bit of fun
And I'll do it again with my navvy boots on."
The six months being over and seven after this
This pretty fair maid grew stout around the waist
Then eight months being over and nine comes along
And she handed me a son with his navvy boots on.
Come all you pretty fair maids take heed what I have said
Don't ever let a navvy come into your bed,
For their hearts do run light and their minds do run young
Sure they'll jump on your bones with their navvy boots on.
From The Seeds of Love, Sedley
@bawdy @love @seduction @bastard
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The second DT version is from Peter Kennedy (corrections?):
NAVVY BOOTS (2)
I'm a bold English navvy that fought on the line
The first place I met was Newcastle-on-Tyne
I being tired, sick, and weary of working all day
To a cot down by the hillside I'm making my way
(A digging and a-picking as I was one day
The thought of my true love it led me astray.
The day it was gone and the night coming on
And I hit for the road with my navvy boots on.)
Oh I first had me supper and then had a shave
For courtin' this fair maid I highly prepared
Th'ould stars in the sky as the moon it shown down
And I hit for the road with my navvy boots on
I knocked at my love's window: my knock she did know
And out of her slumber she wakened so slow
I knocked there again and she said, "Is that John?"
And I quickly replied, "With me navvy boots on"
Oh she opened the window and then let me in
'Twas into her bedroom she planted me then
Th'ould night being cold and the blankets rolled on
So I slipped into bed with my navvy boots on
Oh then early next morning at the dawn of the day
Said I to my true love, "It's time to go away"
"Sleep down, sleep down, you know you've done wrong
Sure the child will be born with his navvy boots on"
Oh he bent down his head with a laugh and a smile
Saying, "What could I do love in that little while
And I know if I done it, I done it in fun
And I'll do it again with my navvy boots on"
Oh then six months being over and seven at the last
When this pretty fair maid grew stout round the waist
For eight months being over when nine comes along
And she handed him a young son with his navvy boots on
"Oh come all you pretty fair maids, take a warning," she said
"Don't ever leave a navvy get into your bed
For when he'll get warm and think upon you
Sure he'll jump on your bones with his navvy boots on."
Printed in Peter Kennedy Folksongs of Britain and Ireland
Recorded by the Irish Rovers
second verse from Sedgwick RG
@English @work @courtship @bastard
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SOF
