| Author | Topic: Add: Green Broom | |
| dmcg | Posted - 15 Jun 03 - 01:24 pm | |
Green Broom There was an old man and he lived in the West, And his trade was a-cutting of broom, green broom; He had but one son and his name it was John, And he lied abed till 'twas noon, bright noon, And he lied abed till 'twas noon. The old man arose and to his son goes, And swore he'd set fire to his room, his room, If he would not rise and unbutton his eyes, And away to the wooods from green broom, green broom, And away to the wooods for green broom. Then Jack he did rise and did sharpen his knives, And he went to the woods cutting broom, green broom; To market and fair, crying everywhere: O fair maids, do you want any broom, green broom? O fair maids, do you want any broom? A lady sat up in her window so high, And she heard Johnny crying green broom, green broom; She rang for her maid and unto her she said: O go fetch me that lad the cries broom, green broom, O go fetch me that lad that cries broom. Then John he came back, and upstairs he did go, And he entered that fair lady's room, her room, Dear Johnny, said she, O can you fancy me, Will you marry a lady in bloom, in bloom? Will you marry a lady in broom? Then John gave his consent, and unto the church went, And married this lady in bloom, in bloom, Said she: I protext there is non in the West Is so good as the lad who sells broom, green broom, Is so good as the lad who sells broom. Source: Sharp C and Vaughan Williams, R, A Selection of Collected Folk-Songs, Novello Notes: Somerset, collected by Cecil Sharp. No other information given. Database entry is here. Edited By dmcg - 15/06/2003 13:22:16 | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 15 Jun 03 - 03:39 pm | |
Roud 379 The tune here was noted from John Farkell (75) at Bridgwater, Somerset, on the 10th April 1907. The text as given above also appeared in Sharp's One Hundred English Folksongs (Boston, 1916) in substantially the same form. Mr Farkell's text as originally noted is in Karpeles, Cecil Sharp's Collection of Folk Songs, Oxford 1974, I, 458 (No. 116A): There was an old man and he lived in the West And his trade was selling brooms, green brooms, He had but one son and his name it was John And he lied abed till 'twas noon, bright noon, And he lied abed till 'twas noon. The old man arose and put on his clothes And swear he'd set fire in John's room, John's room, If you don't rise rise and open them eyes And away to the wood for green brooms green broom, And away to the woods for green broom. Then John he arose and put on his clothes Away to the wood for more brooms, more brooms, To market and fairs and any other wheres Crying: Ladies, do you want any broom, green broom? Crying: Ladies, do you want any broom? A lady was up in a window so high, And she heard poor Johnny crying: brooms, green brooms, She ringed for her maid and unto her said: Go and fetch me the lad that sells brooms, green brooms, Go and fetch me the lad that sells brooms. Then John is come back and upstairs he went, And he entered this fair lady's room, lady's room, Dear Johnny, said she, can you fancy me Will you marry a lady in bloom, in bloom? Will you marry a lady in bloom? Then John he consent, and unto the church went And he married this lady in bloom, in bloom, She found a protess* there was none in the West Was so good as the lad who sell brooms, green brooms, Was so good as the lad who sell brooms. * she vowed and protested (?) The editorial changes made are of the straightforward, "polishing up" sort. Two other sets appear in Karpeles: Robert Feast (67), Ely, Cambridgeshire, 12 September 1911 (tune and first verse); and Mrs Eliza Woodberry, Ash Priors, Somerset, 7 April 1908 (tune only). Probably Sharp introduced "a-cutting of broom" and "Jack" from Mr Feast's version; though he may also have drawn on broadsides, which mention knife-sharpening. The song was popular, and most of the collectors of the time encountered it. It appeared in print as early as 1720 (D'Urfey, Pills To Purge Melancholy, VI 100) as The Jolly Broom-Man: Or, the unhappy Boy turn'd Thrifty. This is a longer story, and the lady's kindness extends only so far as buying Jack's entire stock of brooms and giving him a slap-up meal with the senior servants, at which he concludes that there must be something to this broom-making business after all. No question of marriage! Versions have also been found in Scotland and, occasionally, Ireland and Newfoundland. It was current in tradition at least as recently as the 1960s (Sam Larner sang it, for example) and may still be. Several 19th century broadside editions can be seen at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads: Green brooms Probably the song as we have it here was a 19th century re-make of the earlier one, whether worked-up by the printers or taken from oral currency. The Armstrong edition mentions that Jack and his father were gentry reduced to manual labour, which explains both Jack's unwillingness to work and the Lady's willingness to marry him; this detail disappears in later broadsides, where we have the conventional "poor boy made good regardless of social barriers" ending. | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 15 Jun 03 - 03:57 pm | |
From Thomas D'Urfey, ed., Wit and Mirth: Or Pills to Purge Melancholy, Vol. 6 ([1719-1720]; 1876; Folklore Library Publishers, 1959, pp. 100-102): X:1 T:The Jolly Broom-man: Or, the unhappy Boy turn'd Thrifty B:D'Urfey, Wit and Mirth, Vol. 6 (Folklore Library Publishers, 1959, pp. 100-102) M:3/4 L:1/4 K:D d|dfg|a3/2b/a|afd|dde|faf|faf|e2e|def|fed| gab|b2b|afd|def|g2e|g2b|afd|faA|d2|| THERE was an Old Man, and he liv'd in a Wood, and his Trade it was making of Broom, And he had a naughty Boy, Jack to his Son, and he lay in Bed till 'twas Noon, 'twas Noon, and he lay in Bed till 'twas Noon. No Father e'er had, so lazy a Lad, with sleep he his Time did consume, In Bed where he lay, still every Day, and would not go cut his green Broom, green Broom, and would not go cut his green Broom. The Father was vext, and sorely perplext, with Passion he entered the Room; Come Sirrah, he cry'd, I'll liquor your Hide, if you will not go gather green Broom, green Broom, if you will not go gather green Broom. Jack lay in his Nest, still taking his rest, and valu'd not what was his Doom, But now you shall hear, his Mother drew near, and made him go gather green Broom, green Broom, and made him go gather green Broom. Jack's Mother got up, and fell in a Rage, and swore she would fire the Room, If Jack did not rise, and go to the Wood, and fetch home a bundle of Broom, green Broom, and fetch home a bundle of Broom. This wakened him straight, before it was late, as fearing the terrible Doom, Dear Mother, quoth he, have pity on me, I'll fetch home a Bundle of Broom, green Broom, I'll fetch home a bundle of Broom. Then Jack he arose, and he slit on his Cloaths, and away to the Wood very soon; To please the Old Wife, he took a sharp Knife, and fell to the cutting of Broom, green Broom, and fell to the cutting of Broom, green Broom. Jack follow'd his Trade and readily made, his Goods up for Country Grooms: This done, honest Jack took them ast his Back, and cry'd, will you buy any Brooms, green Brooms, and cry'd, will you buy any Brooms. Then Jack he came by a Gentleman's House, in which was abundance of Rooms; He stood at the Door, and began for to roar, crying, Maids will you buy any Brooms, green Brooms, crying, Maids will you buy any Brooms. I tell you they're good, just fetch'd from the Wood, and fitted for sweeping of Rooms; Come handle my Ware, for Girls I declare, you never had better green Brooms, green Brooms, you never had better green Brooms. The Maidens did call, the Steward of the Hall, who came in his Silks and Perfumes, He gave Jack his Price, and thus in a trice, he sold all his Bundle of Brooms, green Brooms, he sold all his Bundle of Brooms. Likewise to conclude, they gave his rich Food, with Liquor of Spicy Perfumes; The hot Boyl'd and Roast, did cause Jack to boast, no Trade was like making of Brooms, green Brooms, no Trade was like making of Brooms. For first I am Paid, and then I am made, right Welcome by Stewards and Grooms, Here's Money, Meat and Drink, what Trade do you think compares with the making of Brooms, green Brooms, compares with the making of Brooms. I have a good Trade, more Goods must be made, to furnish young Lasses and Grooms, Wherefore I shall lack a Prentice, quoth Jack, I'll teach him the making of Brooms, green Brooms, I'll teach him the making of Brooms. | ||
| Abby Sale | Posted - 15 Jun 03 - 05:44 pm | |
Sam Larner sings this on the classic & superb Folkways, Now is the Time For Fishing (1961). He says it's the only song he ever heard as a work song - they'd use it for drift-net hauling and join in singing and haul on the chorus. Aside from any other value to the song, note the extreme rarity of non-sailor, English-language work songs from any of the Brittish Isles. On the quizzical side, Larner's version much reminds me of the version Burl Ives cut 5 to 10 years earlier. | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 19 Jun 03 - 01:13 am | |
From Now Is The Time for Fishing: Songs and Speech by Sam Larner of Winterton, England (Folkways FG 3507, 1961) [LP], collected and edited by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, recorded between 1957 and 1960. Green Broom There was an old man and he lived in the wood And his trade was selling of brooms; He had one son, and his name it was John, And he laid abed till it was noon, bright noon, And he laid abed till it was noon. Now in come the old man and upstairs he went And he swore he'd fire the room, If John didn't arise and sharpen his knives And away to the wooods to cut broom, green broom, And away to the wooods to cut broom. Now Johnnie arose and he sharpened his knives And away to the woods to cut broom, He binds them all round, carries them through the town, Crying, "Maids, do you want any brooms, green brooms," Crying, "Maids, do you want any brooms? A lady so high from her window did spy Young Johnnie a-selling o' brooms; "Now if you'll forsake this trade, and do what I persuade, And marry a maiden in bloom, green bloom, And marry a maiden in bloom. Now, Jack gave consent and to church they went, And he married that maiden in bloom; Now, I vow and protest, there's not one in the West Can equal the lad that sells brooms, green brooms, Can equal the lad who sells brooms. | ||
| Pip Freeman | Posted - 23 Nov 03 - 02:10 pm | |
Green Broom. There was an old man lived out in the wood, His trade was a cutting of Broom, green Broom; He had but one son without thrift, without good, Who lay in his bed till 'twas noon, bright noon. The old man awoke, one morning and spoke, He swore he would fire the room, that room, If his som John would not rise and open his eyes, And away to the wood to cut Broom, green Broom. So Johnny arose, and he slipped on his clothes, And away to the wood to cut Broom, green Broom, He sharpened his knives, for once he contrives To cut a great bundle of Broom, green Broom. When Johnny passed under a lady's fine house, Passed under a lady's fine room, fine room, She called to her maid, "Go fetch me," she said, "Go fetch me the boy that sells Broom, green Broom. When Johnny came into the lady's fine house, And stood in the lady's fine room, fine room, "Young Johnny," she says, "Will you give up your trade, And marry a lady in bloom, full bloom?" Johnny gave his consent, and to church they both went, And he wedded the lady in bloom, full bloom. At market and fair, all folks do declare, There is none like the boy that sold Broom, green Broom. Source: Songs of the West S. Baring-Gould. Notes: Baring Gould notes: Words and melody taken down from John Woodrich, blacksmith; he learned both from his grandmother when he was a child. The Hon. J. S. Northcote sent me another version taken down from an old woman at Upton Pyne. Again, another from Mr James Ellis of Chaddlehanger, Lamerton; another from Bruce Tyndall of Exmouth, as taken down from a Devonshire cook in 1839 or 1840. This has the melody as the one from Upton Pyne. Woodrich's, is the brightest, the other the oldest. The same ballad to a different tune in "Northumbrian Minstrelsey," 1822 p98. The song is in D'Urfey's "Pills to Purge Melancholy," 1720, vi. p.100, in fourten verses with a different conclusion. Broadside versions by Disley and Such. Also in "The Broom Man's Garland in "LXXXII. Old Ballads" collected by J. Bell, B.M. (1621, C2) Mr Kidson obtained a version in North Yorkshire. Another is in "English County Songs," p88. In "Gammar Gurton's Garland," circ 1783, are three verses. Added to database here. | ||