FISH & CHIPS SESSION SONGS

FISH & CHIPS ENGLISH SESSION SONGS

Country Life

Sung by The Watersons on For Pence and Spicy Ale.

I like to rise when the sun she rises
Early in the morning
I like to hear them small birds singing
Merrily upon the layland

And hurrah for the life of a country boy
And to ramble in the new-mown hay

In spring we sow at the harvest mow
And that is how the seasons round they go
But if all the times if choose I may
Twould be rambling through the new-mown hay

In winter when the sky is grey
We hedge and ditch our times away
But in the summer when the sun shines gay
We go rambling through the new-mown hay

Idyllic songs, praising country pleasures, mostly belong to a time before the agricultural revolution of the 18th and early 19th centuries turned the smallholders into a rural proletariat with grievances. Watersons got this one from Mick Taylor, a sheepdog trainer of Hawes in Wensleydale.—From the notes by A. L. Lloyd.

layland

\Lay"land`\, n. [Lay a meadow + land.] Land lying untilled; fallow ground. [Obs.] --Blount.

Transcribed by Garry Gillard. | New: 19 March 1998 | Now: 8 January 2006

Chickens in the Garden

Sung by The Watersons on For Pence and Spicy Ale.

When first I came down Yorkshire,
Not many years ago.
I met with a little Yorkshire lass,
And I'd have you know,
That she was so blithe, so buxom,
So beautiful and gay,
Now listen while I tell you,
What her Daddy used to say,

Chorus
"Oh treat me daughter decent,
Don't do her any harm.
And when I die I'll leave you both,
Me tiny little farm.
Me cow, me pigs, me sheep, me goats,
Me stock, me field and barn.
And all the little chickens in the garden."

Well first I came to court the girl,
She was awful shy.
She never said a blooming word,
When other folks was by.
But as soon as we were on our own,
She bade me to name the day,
Now listen while I tell you,
What her Daddy used to say,

Well at last I wed this Yorkshire lass,
So pleasing to me mind,
And I did prove true to her,
So she's proved true in kind.
We have three bairns, they're grown up now.
There's a grandbairn on the way.
And when I look into their eyes,
I can hear their grandaddy say,

From A. L. Lloyd's notes: Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson heard a man named Joe Udal sing this at a shepherd's meet in the Lake District in 1974, and took a fancy to it. As well they might.

Mickey Mouse’s Son and Daugher
(Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band)

The world is so delighted,
And the kids are so excited,
‘Cause the stork has brought a son and daughter
To Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse.
The parent corporation
Has declared such jubilation,
‘Cause the stork has brought a son and daughter
To Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse.
Pluto’s giving a party,
And before the fun begins
They’re presenting golden Euros
To the father of the twins.
The preacher’s eyes are glistening,
As he takes the bow for christening,
‘Cause the stork has brought a son and daughter
To Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse.
The world is so delighted,
And the kids are so excited,
‘Cause the stork has brought a son and daughter
To Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse.
Pluto’s giving a party,
And before the fun begins
They’re presenting silver dollars
To the father of the twins.
The parent corporation
Has declared such jubilation,
‘Cause the stork has brought a son and daughter
To Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse.

O, GOOD ALE

CHORUS:   [It is of] good ale to you I’ll sing
    And to good ale I’ll always cling,
    I like my mug filled to the brim
    And I’ll drink all you’d like to bring,
    O, good ale, thou art my darling,
    Thou art my joy both night and morning.

It is you that helps me with my work
And from a task I’ll never shirk
While I can get a good home-brew,
And better than one pint I like two, O, [chorus]

I love you in the early morn
I love you in daylight dark or dawn,
And when I’m weary, worn or spent
I turn the tap and ease the vent, O, [chorus]

It’s you that makes my friends my foes,
It’s you that makes me wear old clothes,
But since you come so near my nose
It’s up you comes and down you goes, O, [chorus]

If all my friends from Adam’s race
Were to meet me here all in this place,
I could part from all without one tear
Before I’d part from my good beer, O, [chorus]

And if my wife did me despise
How soon I’d give her two black eyes,
But if she loved me like I love thee
What a happy couple we should be, O, [chorus]

You have caused me debts and I’ve often swore
That I never would drink strong ale no more
But you for all that I forgive
And I’ll drink strong ale just as long as I live, O [chorus]

Pleasant And Delightful

It was pleasant and delightful one midsummer's morn
To view the fine meadows all covered with corn
And the blackbirds and thrushes sang on every green spray
And the larks they sang melodious at the dawning of the day

Chorus is the last line:
And the larks they sang melodious, And the larks they sang melodious :
And the larks they sang melodious at the dawning of the day.

A sailor and his true love were walking one day
Said the sailor to his true love "I'm bound far away
I'm bound for the Indies where load cannons do roar
I must go and leave you Nancy you're the girl I adore
The ring from off her finger she instantly drew
Saying "Take this dearest Willie and me heart will go too"
And as she embraced her tears from her eyes fell
Saying, "May I go along with you?" "Oh no me love farewell"
So fare thee well my dearest Nancy, I'm bound far away
The ship is a-waiting out there in the bay
The anchor is hoisted she waits the next flowing tide
And if ever I return again I will make you my bride.

The Watercress Girl

One day I took a ramble down by a running stream
Where the water lillies gambol - it was a lovely scene
And there I saw a maiden, a maiden from the dell:
She was gath'ring watercresses 'twas Martha the watercress girl.

Chorus:

Then her hair it hung in tresses, down by the stream that's close to the mill;
She was gath'ring watercresses, was Martha the watercress girl.

I asked if she was lonely, she answered with a smile:
'Kind sir, I am not lonely, for here I daily toil.
I have to rise up early my cresses for to sell:
My Christian name is Martha - they call me the watercress girl'

The day is not far distant when Martha will be mine,
And on our wedding morning it will be nice and fine.
I'll have to rise up early and dress up like an earl,
To go and marry Martha, the sweet little watercress girl.

Source: Source: Everyman's Book Of British Ballads, ed. Roy Palmer.

Notes:
Palmer notes:
Even without knowledge of the original street ballad, one would have to conclude tht the style and sentiment of this song is unmistakenly Victorian"

Collected by Roy Palmer from George Dunn (1887-1975), Quarry Bank, Staffordshire, 24-5-71 (Folk Music Joural, 1973, pp 292-3)

This song is generally credited to Harry Clifton. George Dunn's singing of it has recently been issued on CD by Musical Traditions: excellent notes on the song and on George Dunn by Roy Palmer can be found here George Dunn. There is a brief discussion about Harry Clifton, including a text of this song, on the Mudcat Forum Harry Clifton

Two broadside examples can be seen at Bodleian Library Broadsides; in both cases the printers and dates are not recorded.

The water-cress girl Harding B 11(4047)

The water-cress girl Harding B 11(1233)

The Wren

Joy, health, love and peace,
Be all here in this place,
By your leave we will sing
Concerning our King.

Our King is well dressed
In silks of the best,
In ribbons so rare
No King can compare.

We have travelled many miles
Over hedges and stiles
In search of our King;
Unto you we bring.

We have powder and shot
To conquer the lot,
We have cannon and ball
To conquer them all.

Bold Christmas is past,
Twelfth Night is the last,
And we bid you adieu,
Great joy to the New.