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Lyr Add: Martinmas Time

13 Apr 01 - 10:50 AM (#439735)
Subject: Lyr Add: MARTINMAS TIME
From: Mad Maudlin

Hello all,

I'm looking for the title of this song I recently learned: If you know alternate versions, or the origins and approx. age of this song, please let me know!

Thanks a lot,

Mad Maudlin

It fell out upon one Martinmas time
When snow lay on the border,
There came a troop of soldiers here
To take up their winter quarter.

Oh they rode high and they rode low,
They rode across the border,
And there they met with a nice little girl
And she was a farmer's daughter.

They made her swear a solemn oath
With the salt tear in her eye-o,
That she would come to the quarter-gates
When no one could her spy-o.

And she's gone to the barber's shop,
To the barber's shop so soon-o,
She's made them cut her long yellow hair
As short as any dragoon-o.

And she has gone to the tailor's shop
And dresses in soldiers' clothes-o,
Two long pistols down by her side,
A pretty little boy was she-o.

And she has gone to the quarter-gates
And loudly she does call-o:
"There comes a troop of soldiers here,
And we must have lodgings all-o."

The quartermaster he came down,
He gave her half a crown-o:
"Go find your lodgings in the town,
For here there is no room-o."

But she's come nearer to the gates,
And loudly she does call-o:
"Open the gates, ye gentlemen,
We must have lodgings all-o."

The quartermaster he's come down,
He gave her eighteen pence-o:
"Go find your lodgings in the town,
Tonight there comes a wench-o."

She took the whistle from her side,
She blew it loud and shrill-o.
"You're so very free with your eighteen pence,
You're not for a girl at all-o."

She took the garters from her knee,
The ribbons from her hair-o,
She tied them round the quarter-gates
As a token she'd been there-o.

When they found out it had been her
They tried to have her taken
But she clapped her spurs to her horse's side
And galloped home a maiden.

13 Apr 01 - 11:24 AM (#439764)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: GUEST,Roll&Go-C

Well, I've heard John Roberts and Tony Barrand sing this fine song but I can't find it on any of my recordings.

13 Apr 01 - 11:50 AM (#439780)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: Morticia

It's called Martinmas Time

13 Apr 01 - 11:56 AM (#439784)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: GUEST,Bruce O.

There are 10 versions, one as long as 19 verses (with music) in 'The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection', I, #161, 1981.

13 Apr 01 - 11:57 AM (#439785)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: Mad Maudlin

Thank you, Morticia! Roll&Go-C, if you give me your snail-mail address I can mail you a recording of it by Andy Irvine. It's really a great song!

13 Apr 01 - 11:59 AM (#439788)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: Keith A of Hertford

Yes, but why is the day so significant as to always be given as the title? Does it make the oath more binding?
Keith.

13 Apr 01 - 12:06 PM (#439799)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: dick greenhaus

Ye dinna need the title. A search for "garters dragoons" (without the quotes) brings a version right up,

13 Apr 01 - 02:25 PM (#439923)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: GUEST,Bruce O.

By far the most common title is from the 1st line, "It fell about the Martinmas time". Another is "The Troop o' Soldiers", but in Greig-Duncan the editors title is "The Irish Dragoons".

13 Apr 01 - 05:29 PM (#440029)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: Irish sergeant

Interesting. It seems to be common for some songs to have several titles, Kindest reguards, NEil

14 Apr 01 - 02:06 AM (#440296)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: Mad Maudlin

Yes, that's really funny. But maybe this is a natural thing that happens when songs are passed from person to person- the lyrics get changed,the title gets changed...

Vive la difference :-)

14 Apr 01 - 09:21 AM (#440367)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: GUEST,#1

Mad Maudlin is getting dangerously close to discovering real folk songs. Carefull there. They can be addictive.

14 Apr 01 - 12:14 PM (#440454)
Subject: RE: Help: Title of soldiers' ballad wanted
From: Mad Maudlin

Thanks for the warning, Guest#1, but I fear it is too late already. I shall not rests in my grave until I haven't found all the versions of all the folk songs that ever existed. Must...find...alternate versions for master... :-)