| Author | Topic: Add: As I was A-Walking | |
| Ed | Posted - 24 Aug 02 - 02:44 pm | |
As I Was A-Walking As I was a-walking one morning by chance I heard a maid making her moan I asked what was the matter, she said in a flutter I'm obliged to lie tumbling alone, alone I'm obliged to lie tumbling alone I said: My fair maid, where did you come from Or are you some distance from home? My home, replies she, is a burden to me For I'm obliged to lie tumbling alone, alone I'm obliged to lie tumbling alone When I was eleven, sweethearts I had seven But then I was fitting for none But now I am fit ne'er a one can I get For I'm obliged to lie tumbling alone, alone I'm obliged to lie tumbling alone My sister a girl was wed at sixteen And she has fine babes of her own And here I am now in my sweet twenty-one I'm obliged to lie tumbling alone, alone I'm obliged to lie tumbling alone I wish some brisk fellow would pity my case And make me a bride of his own For I vow and declare I shall die in despair If I lie one night longer alone, alone If I lie one night longer alone Tune: X:1 T:As I Was A-Walking Q:1/4=130 I:abc2nwc M:3/4 L:1/8 K:F D2|A2A2A2|G2A2G2|F2E2F2|D2z2D2|F3E D2|B2A2G2|A6-|A4DD|A2A2A2|G2G2A2|F3E D2|dd- d2AA|B3B B2|c2c2c2|F6|G6|A6-|A2z2FG|A3B A2|G2F2E2|D6-|D4|] w:As I was a-walk-ing one morn-ing by chance, I heard a maid mak-ing her moan - I asked what was the mat-ter, she said in a flut-ter - I'm ob-liged to lie tumb-ling a-lone a-lone_I'm ob-liged to lie tumb-ling a-lone_ Source: Everyman's Book of English Country Songs - edited by Roy Palmer Notes: Collected by Lucy Broadwood from the singing of Henry Burstow of Horsham, Sussex. (2nd May, 1893) The database entry can be found here Ed Edited By Ed - 8/24/2002 2:44:19 PM | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 24 Aug 02 - 04:28 pm | |
Roud 1059 (the only example listed at present). This first appeared in Lucy Broadwood's book English Traditional Songs and Carols (1908), where it was called I Must Live All Alone; the text was substantially modified. The songs in that book are available (though without all the notes, and with the piano accompaniments removed), as Miss Broadwood's Delight: Folk Songs from Sussex and Other English Counties, from Ferret Publications. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 20 May 03 - 11:18 am | |
Lucy Broadwood's version is as follows: As I was a-walking one morning by chance, I heard a maid making her moan. I asked why she sighed and she sadly replied, "Alas I must live all alone, alone, Alis! I must live all alone!" I said, "My fair maid, pray whence have you strayed? And are you some distance from home?" "My home," replied she, "is a burden to me, For there I must live all alone, alone, For there I must live all alone!" "When I was eleven I had sweethearts seven, And then I would look upon none; But now all in vain I must sigh and complain, For my true love has left me alone, alone, For my true love has left me alone!" "Oh! Come back from sea, my dear Johnny to me, And make me a bride of your own! Or else for your sake my poor heart it will break, And here I will die all alone, alone, And here I shall die all alone." It is in the database here. Edited By dmcg - 20/05/2003 11:15:43 | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 20 May 03 - 11:31 am | |
Does an editorial re-write really justify a separate database entry? I'd have thought it worth a footnote to Burstow's original set (since it's already here), but not more. It does illustrate the constraints under which the pioneer folk song collectors were obliged to operate, of course; and also that conscientious ones like Lucy Broadwood preserved the genuine texts even when they could not publish them unmodified. | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 20 May 03 - 11:57 am | |
Malcolm, Dave's entry was made to a separate thread and it was later discovered that Ed had already posted the song - it's bound to happen once in a while. Under the circumstances, I think that the action to combine threads and let the second database entry stand was probably the best course of action. | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 29 May 03 - 12:42 am | |
As chance would have it, I came across the following the other day while looking for something else entirely. It's from a facsimile of an 18th century broadside published in London (no further details) in Leslie Shepard's book The Broadside Ballad: a Study in Origins and Meaning (Herbert Jenkins, London 1962, p. 142). A New Song, Called, Weary of tumbling Alone. One morning of late, as I walk'd in great state, I heard a maiden making sad moan, I ask'd her the matter, she said, sir, I won't flat[t]er, I am weary of tumbling alone. O that is a pity, that a maiden so pretty, And the young men so idle are grown, But a curse light upon it, and worse may come on it, If I leave you a tumbling alone. O then, says the sailor, can you fancy me, I have gold, and got silver in store, I have brought from the sea, such a fine remedy, That will ease you of tumbling alone. O then, says the fair maid, if you can fancy me, I have got plenty of money in store, No more cross the main to fight France nor Spain, Nor go where the cannons loud roar. O then, says the sailor, I can fancy you, As long as your money doth last, She grows thick in the waist, and thin in the face, But the sailor he steers off at last. As down in the garden there grows a red rose, I'll pluck it, and call it my own, In an hour it will fade, and so will a maid, That's weary of tumbling alone. No tune is indicated. | ||