| Author | Topic: Add: Donkey Riding | |
| dmcg | Posted - 13 May 06 - 02:49 pm | |
Were you ever in Quebec, Stowing timber on the deck, Where there's a king with a golden crown, Riding on a donkey? (Chorus) Hey! ho! Away we go, Donkey riding, donkey riding, Hey! ho! Away we go, Riding on a donkey! Were you ever off Cape Horn, Where it's always fine and warm, And seen the lion and the Unicorn Riding on a donkey! Were you ever in Cardiff Bay, Where the folks all shout "Hurray! Here comes John with his three months' pay Riding on a donkey?" Source: Singing Together, Summer 1971, BBC Publications Notes: See also the Hugil1 Collection, Number 42 It is generally (but not universally) agreed that 'Donkey Riding' is a reference to a Donkey Engine, a machine used when working with heavy loads, such as 'stowing timber on the deck'. | ||
| GEST | Posted - 13 May 06 - 06:14 pm | |
The CSU Fresno Ballad Index makes a good case for Hieland Laddie as the mid-19th century source for this shanty. Great Big Sea also does some Donkey Riding at GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador. :-) GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 13 May 06 - 08:52 pm | |
Thanks for the reference, GEST. In 'Shanties from the Seven Seas', Hugill also identifies Hieland Laddie as a predecent, and remarks that 'Hieland Laddie' is based on an old Scottish march and dance tune, but does not identify that more specifically. I've also taken the liberty of linking to the GEST site itself, but let me know if that's a problem and I will remove it. | ||
| Snuffy | Posted - 15 May 06 - 02:14 pm | |
According to this site the song was created in Canada from a fusion of Hieland Laddie and a song from Jersey Assis sus man j'valet. They seem to have lifted the Jersey song from Les Pages Jerriaises, which has lots of songs in the local language/dialect. But as these include such typical Jersey songs as Bridge Over Troubled Water, It's A long Way To Tipperary, All You Need Is Love and Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me A Bow-wow, then it might not be totally safe to assume that Assis sus man j'valet is that old. Nice try, though. | ||