| Author | Topic: Add: Female Highwayman (Sovay, Sylvia) | |
| Ed | Posted - 29 Nov 02 - 08:14 pm | |
Sovay [Female Highwayman] Sovay, Sovay all on a day She dressed herself in man's array With a sword and a pistol all by her side To meet her true love to meet her true love away did ride And as she was a-riding over the plain She met her true love and bid him stand Your gold and silver kind sir she said Or else this moment or else this moment your life I'll have And when she'd robbed him of his store She says kind sir there is one thing more A golden ring which I know you have Deliver it deliver it your sweet life to save Oh that golden ring a token is My life I'll lose the ring I'll save Being tender-hearted just like a dove She rode away she rode away from her true love Oh next morning in the garden green Just like true lovers they were seen Oh he spied his watch hanging by her clothes And it made him blush made him blush like any rose Oh what makes you blush at so silly a thing I thought to have had your golden ring It was I that robbed you all on the plain So here's your watch here's your watch and your gold again I did intend and it was to know If that you were me true love or no For if you'd have give me that ring she said I'd have pulled the trigger I'd have pulled the trigger and shot you dead Source: Kennedy, D. (1987) Martin Carthy: A Guitar in Folk Music. Petersham: New Punchbowl Music. Notes: From the notes to Martin Carthy's first album: Sovay Sovay was a great favourite among country singers and was printed by Such, among others, under its alternative title of The Female Highwayman. Her name varies from place to place - Sovay, Silvy, Shilo, Sally, etc. - but the story remains the same being a rather involved and slightly chancy way of establishing her lover's good faith. The tune sung here was collected by Hammond in Dorset and slightly altered rhythmically by Bert Lloyd giving it a somewhat Balkan lift. The text is collated from various versions. Note on the ABC/Score: The lack of bar lines isn't a mistake. To quote the song book: "Martin insisted on this melody being written in as free a way as possible, rather than forcing it into a time signature that did not neccessarily reflect the actual rhythmic feel of the song" Database entry is here Edited By Ed - 11/29/2002 8:21:16 PM | ||
| Phil Taylor | Posted - 29 Nov 02 - 11:49 pm | |
A small point - when entering tunes in abc in free time, you should not omit the M: field. Instead you should put it in as "M: none". A good abc program should flag the lack of an M: field as an error (after all, you might just have left it out accidentally). M:none says that you really meant it to be that way. | ||
| Ed | Posted - 30 Nov 02 - 12:05 am | |
Thanks for that, Phil I've updated the entry, accordingly. | ||
| Ed | Posted - 30 Nov 02 - 10:09 pm | |
A variant of Sovay Sylvia [Female Highwayman] Sylvia, Sylvia, Sylvia one day She dressed herself in men's array With a loaded pistol down by her side To rob her true-love To rob her true-love Sylvia did ride As she rode up to him and she bid him stand Stand and deliver all the gold that you have Stand and deliver all your gold and store Or else this moment Or else this moment Your life's no more He delivered up all his gold and store But yet, she said, there is one thing more There?s a diamond ring that I know you do wear Deliver it Deliver it And your life I?ll spare Now this diamond ring being a token, give o?er This ring I?ll keep or lose my life She was tender-hearted just like a dove She rode away She rode away From her own true-love Now as they were walking the garden green He spied his watch hanging from her chain He spied his watch hanging through her cloak Which made her blush Which made her blush Like any rose What made you blush at so silly a thing? I fain would have had your diamond ring For 'twas I that robbed you on a plain So to take your watch So to take your watch And gold again Now why did you enter such a silly plot Suppose that pistol you did have shot If you had shot me upon that plain For ever after For ever after You'd be put to shame I only did it for to know Whether you were a true-lover or no But now I've a contented mind My heart and all My heart and all My dear, are thine The match was made without delay And soon they fixed the wedding day And now they live in joy and content In happiness In happiness Their days are spent Source: Kennedy, P. (1975) Folksongs of Britain and Ireland. London: Oak Publications. Notes: Collected from Tim Walsh, Devonport by C. Tawney, 1960. Kennedy notes: This song is usually classified as The Female Highwayman since the young lady's name varies from Sylvia to Sovie, Sovay, Shillo, Sally, Silvery, and so on; on broadside copies the title is sometimes given as Sylvia's Request and William's Denial. Database entry is here Edited By Ed - 11/30/2002 10:12:16 PM | ||