09 Dec 03 - 08:59 PM (#1068898) Subject: Lyr Add: Ten Dollar Bill From: Joe Offer In the thread about misogyny in folk music, Harpgirl mentioned "Ten Dollar Bill" as being a misogynist song, but she said she couldn't find it in the Digital Tradition. I asked her about it, and she described a song I knew from a Michael Cooney recording as the Brisk Young Butcher. I think that Steeleye Span recorded it under another name - can anybody locate that recording? Harpgirl said "Ten Dollar Bill" on Folk-Legacy CD-62, The Barley Grain for Me, by Margaret Christl and Ian Robb. sure enough, there it is. Here are the lyrics: THE TEN DOLLAR BILL Way down in New York City, Where the Cornstalks are the sign, A place for the commercial men To go and drink their wine; a place for the commercial men, They've always made their youth To drink a glass of cherry wine And pluck the Christmas goose. Well, they drank their glass of cherry wine And smoked a mild cigar, While chatting with their comrades And people at the bar. And not a thought of amorousness Did enter in his head, Until the serving maid came 'round To show him up to bed. Then he got familiar And he hugged her in the stairs. He hugged her in his chambers Before he said his prayers. A ten dollar bill he handed her, To keep her from getting vexed; Turned out the lights, jumped into bed — Well, you know what happened next. It was early the next morning He was charged a little bill, And shook dice with the landlord Before his parting gin. And where he went just after that, I cannot very well say, But, so I heard, he turned up again The very next Christmas day. As he stepped in so gentle, As gentle as could be, While other travellers like himself Were waiting on their tea, He ordered up the very best The landlord could produce. "Send back the same young serving maid, And don't forget the goose." The edibles were brought to him The edibles in store All by the same young serving maid He hugged twelve months before. And on the table by his side, Just where the grub was piled, Instead of a goose, she's handed him A handsome baby child. And as he looked, twelve others laughed; "And what is this?" cried he. She said, "Kind sir, don't look so strange, And I will tell to thee. " She said, "My brave and generous man, What makes you look so strange? That ten dollar bill you've handed me, So now, take back your change!" Margaret Christl's source was from the singing of Cloanna Lavallee of Nicabean, Quebec - collected by Sheldon Posen I think I prefer the story in the Brisk Butcher, when the guy double-deals the chambermaid by telling the landlord that he had paid the chambermaid for the room rent. Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry for this song: Brisk Young Butcher, TheDESCRIPTION: A (butcher) stays at an inn; he offers a serving girl money to lay with him. She does. Given his bill, he says he gave the girl the money and didn't get change. A year later, he comes back. She shows him her child and says it is his changeAUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: before 1839 (broadside, Bodleian Johnson Ballads 216) KEYWORDS: money trick sex pregnancy travel FOUND IN: Britain(England(North),Scotland(Aber)) REFERENCES (5 citations): Greig #152, p. 2, ("It's of a brisk young butcher"); Greig "Folk-Song in Buchan," p. 25, ("It was a brisk young butcher lad") (4 fragments) GreigDuncan7 1466, "The Butcher and the Chambermaid" (12 texts, 8 tunes) Ord, pp. 158-159, "The Butcher and Chamber Maid" (1 text) Palmer-ECS, #38, "The Brisk Young Butcher" (1 text, 1 tune) DT, XMASGOOS XMASGOO2* Roud #167 RECORDINGS: A. L. Lloyd, "The Butcher and the Chambermaid" (on Lloyd5, Lloyd12) Harvey Nicholson, "The Copshawholm Butcher" (on Voice10) BROADSIDES: Bodleian, Johnson Ballads 216, "The Leicester Chambermaid" ("Its of a brisk young butcher as I have heard 'em say"), J. Catnach (London), 1813-1838; also Harding B 11(2105), Firth b.28(25a) View 2 of 2[some words illegible], Harding B 11(2103), Firth c.18(304), Harding B 11(2104), Harding B 11(2654), "The Leicester Chambermaid"; 2806 c.17(232), "London Butcher"; 2806 c.17(68), "The Chambermaid" Murray, Mu23-y1:040, "The Butcher and the Chamber Maid," unknown, 19C CROSS-REFERENCES: cf. "The Basket of Eggs" (plot) and references there cf. "The Banks of Sweet Dundee" (tune, per GreigDuncan7) ALTERNATE TITLES: The Christmas Goose The Ten Dollar Bill The Jolly Flesher Aikey Fair File: DTxmasgo Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2018 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
09 Dec 03 - 10:18 PM (#1068945) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: harpgirl Where did you find the lyrics, Joe? Did you have the liner notes from The Folk Legacy Album? I didn't mean it was misogynistic so much as the lot of women in life... |
10 Dec 03 - 03:35 AM (#1069070) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: Hrothgar A version of "The Brisk Butcher" was the first song I heard Judy Small sing, ooh, way back ... |
10 Dec 03 - 01:40 PM (#1069549) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: Kevin Sheils Can't place a Steeleye version Joe but Tim Hart and Maddy Prior recorded it as the Brisk Butcher on their early, pre SS, first LP "Folk Songs of Olde England vol 1" |
10 Dec 03 - 02:40 PM (#1069592) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: Joe Offer Hi, Harpgirl- The Barley Grain For Me has a nice CD booklet, but, alas, no lyrics. However, there is a larger booklet with full lyrics, available from Folk-Legacy Records for a mere dollar. I ordered one copy of every CD Folk-Legacy has issued, and I've received most of them. It's folk-music heaven. -Joe Offer- |
10 Dec 03 - 06:11 PM (#1069716) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: dick greenhaus And if you look for "Christmas Goose" (or even just "goose") in Digitrad, you'll find it. |
10 Dec 03 - 06:30 PM (#1069734) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: Joe Offer Yeah, "Christmas Goose" and "Ten Dollar Bill" are definitely the same song. Margaret Christl said Sheldon Posen collected the song in Quebec, but she says:
-Joe Offer- |
15 Feb 12 - 08:19 PM (#3309198) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: GUEST,AJ Can anyone tell me if the tune in the database is an arrangement by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior or if it is "traditional"? |
18 Dec 18 - 04:39 PM (#3967122) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: GUEST,madtom It's nice that these threads never really die. This past weekend I had the privilege to attend the Finest Kind's annual Christmas concert in Wakefield, Quebec, where they performed "The Ten Dollar Bill" (as they usually do). If you don't know, this group is Ian Robb, who performed with Margaret Christl on the "The Barley Grain For Me" recording, Shelly Posen, who is credited for collecting this version, and Ann Downey. While researching this song as a possible addition for my caroling group, I found this obviously older set of words to the name of "The Christmas Goose". http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/christmas_goose.htm There's no source or attribution given, unfortunately, just the words.
-Joe- |
18 Dec 18 - 05:40 PM (#3967132) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Brisk Butcher / Ten Dollar Bill From: Steve Gardham Probably dates from about 1850 and is found on broadsides by Bebbington of Manchester and his successor, Pearson. Also printed by Sanderson of Edinburgh. A Bebbington copy can be seen at Bodleian Broadside ballads site ref. Harding B16 (49c) but you would get it just by typing in the title in the search box. There was another with this title printed by Disley and Fortey both of London and of about the same date. FL. Now Christmas has again arrived. Should be a copy of this on the VWML website (Kidson 10.361). |