Author Topic: Add: The Proud Tailor

dmcg

 Posted - 08 May 03 - 12:38 pm
The Proud Tailor [Benjamin Boglegun]

I can tell you how the world begun (3),
Nine tailors make a man.

The tailor were sat at work (3),
Picked a louse off his shirt.

With his needle he made a sword (3),
Stabbed the louse on the board.

With his bodkin he made a gun (3),
Shot the louse as he run.

With his scissors he made some shears (3),
Snipped off the louse's ears.

With his thimble he made a bell (3),
Runf the louse into hell.


Source: Palmer, Roy, 1998, A Book of British Ballads, Llanerch


Notes:

Roy Palmer wrote:

This high-spirited, mock-heroic squib hits a common mark in folklore, the tailor. One wonders, however, whther it is also legitimate to read it as a satire on militarism. The ballad is rare: only one full version exists, apart from the one, which comes from Sam Bennet (1865-1951) of Ilmington, Warwickshire. However, it is very close to the better-known 'Tailor and Louse'.

The song comes from the Carpenter Collection.

Database entry is here.





MMario

 Posted - 08 May 03 - 02:06 pm
it may be my computer - but the png and pdf both come up titled "The Grey Selkie" when I look at them.






dmcg

 Posted - 08 May 03 - 02:11 pm
Carelessness on my part, I'm afraid. I had cut'n'paste the six-or-seven lines of ABC header from the Selkie and then made changes to it, but didn't change the title, even though the tune, lyrics, original singer, etc were right. All is now correct.


I should add this is one of my favourite mistakes - not updating the ABC header fully. If anyone finds more examples, please let me know.


Edited By dmcg - 08/05/2003 14:21:13



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