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Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves

23 Mar 02 - 02:12 AM (#674591)
Subject: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: GUEST,Virgin

She said 'don't do things by halves.... it's the rest i'm looking for. Any catters know this


23 Mar 02 - 02:19 AM (#674594)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Roughyed

Sounds like a song called Matthew the Miller from the Hammond and Gardner manuscripts. Might be able to dig it out later to see.


23 Mar 02 - 02:36 AM (#674597)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring

I don't know about Matthew the Miller, but it's a version of "Gently Johnny my Jingalo", in the Cecil Sharp collection [printed in Reeves Idiom of the People, 113. But the verse quoted isn't in there.


23 Mar 02 - 03:30 AM (#674609)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: SeanM

I've also heard a very similar line used in "Maid of Amsterdam"

M


23 Mar 02 - 04:42 AM (#674623)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: GUEST,virgin

this is a geordie song i think. i can remember a little of it.something about going to the sea with the wife and mother in law and she falls in the water." me wife she said you hound, you gonna watch her drown,no i'm gonna shut me eyes tddley ah tiddley ay' ???


23 Mar 02 - 05:13 AM (#674630)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: bill\sables

The song is Little Chance a mining song from North East England. Sam Pirt and I recorded it on our CD "Halfway to Wrexham" I will post it later today for you. Cheers Bill


23 Mar 02 - 08:38 AM (#674706)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Malcolm Douglas

Such lines turn up in many songs, usually of the "anatomical progression" variety. They have been around a long time, and some persist in tradition as rugby songs. You might like to look at these references in the DT and Forum (there are more, I'm sure):

A-ROVIN' (1)

Maid from Amsterdam

Little Chance

Mathew the Miller Gently Johnny My Jingalo


23 Mar 02 - 12:13 PM (#674814)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Dave Bryant

If there's a chorus which goes "Titty-fa-la-tiity-fa-lay" then Bill is right it's a Geordie song called "Little Chance". There are two versions of the song with the same tune and chorus. The original was all about a pit-pony called "little Chance", but a Geordie Music Hall singer added the comedy verses including the "Hands upon her calves" one.

The folk process continues, however, because my mate Dave Blagrove has modified it to a Canal Song called THE SINGLE BOLINDER which also uses the Music Hall verses


25 Mar 02 - 06:38 PM (#676183)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Art Thieme

This line is from the story of my life.

There are many more lines in it.

Art Thieme


25 Mar 02 - 07:46 PM (#676219)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: raredance

Damn, I was hoping for a humerous farm song

rich r


25 Mar 02 - 07:57 PM (#676229)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Charley Noble

Dave - your nice blue clickie doesn't seem to go anywhere interesting. I'd really like to see the words of the canal boat version.


25 Mar 02 - 09:00 PM (#676262)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Malcolm Douglas

Easily found through the "Digitrad and Forum Search":

The Single Bolinder


26 Mar 02 - 04:28 AM (#676418)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Dave Bryant

Well, my link seems to be working now - it's to the same DT entry as the one above. Perhaps a JoeClone fixed it.


15 Nov 03 - 02:48 PM (#1054249)
Subject: RE: Help: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Randolph and Legman, in "Roll Me in Your Arms," have a long discussion of this song, which they put under the title "Tickle My Toe."
Jingalo seemingly is from Zingaro, a gipsy. They consider the song to be of British origin, 18th century at the latest.
"The Corn Grinds Well" (The Miller, Mathew the Miller) was printed in part in William Chappell, "Popular Music of the Olden Time," 1859, vol. 2; Reeves printed further words in "Everlasting Circle," collected in 1906. Cecil Sharp's "Gently Johnny My Jingalo" was collected in 1907, and published in much expurgated form.

As Malcolm Douglas said earlier, there are many versions; the first one noted for North America in the 1890s. Ed Cray, in "The Erotic Muse, American Bawdy Songs," discusses the song under the version title, "Billy Go Leary."
"He Put His Hand Upon Her Toe, Yo Ho, Yo Ho," was a version sung by marines.


15 Nov 03 - 07:53 PM (#1054417)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: GUEST,jim clark london england.

Thanx guys for your responses,but spare me the Cecil Sharp sanitised midi or any midi for that fact,cant stand e'm ha ha.

I am a performance poet and can chant some poems,but dont reckon my voice as a singer (although i've been playing the guitar very badly since about 1971) could not some of you wonderful Mudcat singer/guitarists etc record a version of this hypnotic song and email me a copy. I promise only to listen to it and not put it on my website unless you give me the say so.

Heres the email address again, THANX

hyperbolelad@hotmail.com

Regards.

Jim Clark.


15 Nov 03 - 08:19 PM (#1054427)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Oscar Brand recorded a version. Don't remember which one of his Bawdy Songs albums. No, it wasn't a Sharp-Disney version.


15 Nov 03 - 09:57 PM (#1054483)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

I have posted an old British cavalry version in thread 64487: My Old Bandoliero


16 Nov 03 - 11:05 AM (#1054699)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Nigel Parsons

Another version, heard back in the days when I played rugby (pre 1980)

I PUT MY HAND UPON HER TOE
ttto ; When Johnny comes marching home

I put my hand upon her toe, yo ho, yo ho.
I put my hand upon her toe, yo ho, yo ho.
I put my hand upon her toe,
She said "Young man, you're rather slow-
Get in, get out, stop f****** about"
Yo ho, yo ho yo ho.

I put my hand upon her knee, ......
She said "Young man you're teasing me-
.......

I put my hand upon her thigh, ......
She said "Young man, you're rather sly-
.......

I put my hand upon her breast, ...
She said "Young man, the left's the best-
.........

I put my hand upon her quim, ....
She said "Young man, get in, get in,
.........


Nigel


16 Nov 03 - 03:08 PM (#1054845)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

According to Reeves (Idiom, 114) reported in Ed Cray, "The Erotic Muse," the Yo Ho version was the one that Sharp completely recast into "Gently Johnny....". Sharp got it from an unnamed Somerset singer.

The Yo Ho version also got to North America and is reported in two variants from Kentucky.

Cray gave this version from Morgan 2, "More Rugby Songs" (pp. 64-65):

He put his hand upon her toe, yoho, yoho, (2x)
He put his hand upon her toe,
She said "Marine, you're might[y] slow.
Get in, get out, quit ******* [fucking] about,"
Yoho, yoho, yoho.

The Oscar Brand recording of the song is on "G. I.- American Army Songs," Riverside 12-639.


16 Nov 03 - 03:25 PM (#1054867)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Gareth

Q - This side of the pond, Nigels version is the version sung in many a Rugby Club.

Gareth


16 Nov 03 - 07:16 PM (#1055040)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Hrothgar

It's all very well putting your hands upon her calves. However, if you brand them, and those calves are found suckling from cows with somebody else's brand on them, that is prima facie evidence of a felony - you poddy dodger.


17 Nov 03 - 04:02 AM (#1055224)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Kevin Sheils

This is also found in the song "Baltimore"

I touched her on the toe and the crew began to roar
Way hey up she goes we're bound for Baltimore
She said don't be so slow and the crew began to roar
Way hey up she goes we're bound for Baltimore

So I touched her on the calves etc.....


ISTR that the Yetties sang it years ago and IIIRC there's a version by Johnny Doughty on the Voice of The People series,


17 Nov 03 - 04:16 AM (#1055228)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Dave Bryant

The "Single Bolinder" was a canal rewrite of "Little Chance" by my mate Dave Blagrove.


17 Nov 03 - 04:39 AM (#1055241)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: Mr Happy

The Kipper Family used to do a version of 'Matthew the Miller'

'I put me 'and on 'er calves,
What's this my dear?
It is me goin' up,
I goin' 'ere,
Goin' up,
Thigh-a-thack,
Knee-a-nap,
Toe-a-tap,
Tip-a-tappin'
Oh Matthew the Miller,
The mouse cries 'ere'


17 Nov 03 - 08:36 AM (#1055396)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: IanC

Songs on this theme have a written history to at least 1608.

:-)


17 Nov 03 - 01:04 PM (#1055581)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: EBarnacle

I don't really know which came first, Baltimore or Harry Lauder's version, called "We parted on the shore," the chorus of which goes:

"We parted on the shore, we parted on the shore,
I said 'Goodbye my love I'm bound for Baltimore.'
I kissed her on the Cheek and the crew began to roar,
Ilio, ilio, we parted on the shore."


17 Nov 03 - 01:47 PM (#1055624)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: GUEST,Trish

This is sung at my club to "I'll go no more a-roving with you fair maid"
I put my hand upon her knee, mark well what I do say
I put my hand upon her knee,
She said "young man you're rather free"
I'll go no more a-roving with you fair maid
A-roving, a-roving, if roving be my ru-i-i,
I'll go no more a-roving with you fair maid

I put my hand upon her thigh
she said young man you're rather high

I put my hand around her waist
------------rather fast

up her frock
the maid was a man and his name was Jock

I think there's one verse missing (her breast) but I can't remember it


29 Feb 16 - 05:25 PM (#3775825)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: I put me hands upon her calves
From: GUEST,Alan

Here is a verse from 'Little Chance' a Geordie mining song

One day when I was walkin doon by the Fellin' Shore
I met wi Jontys dowter she was stannin at the door
She says te me will ye hev a cup of tea
And eftor the way I spent that neet I swore I'd Dee it again
I put me hand upon hoe calfs titty fa-la, titty fa-lay
She says divent Dee things be halves titty fa-la, titty fa-lay.......
Now I keep hor company and she's very fond of me
And I'm a bugger for tea titty fa-la, titty fa-lay........