And there's nothing I can't spin them into

[sovay]

So yesterday was a Readercon meeting (where I met roozle), and Tea at sigerson and sen_no_ongaku's (where stealthmuffin introduced me to Lovelace and Babbage, the street-music-and-poetry-fighting alternate history I didn't know I needed), and schreibergasse came down from Manchester and stayed the night, which is how we started the day planning to visit the Arboretum and were instead distracted by tart frozen yogurt, used book stores, and very large arthropods. There was a lot of conversation, some of which was Latin scansion. I took home Roger Grenier's Piano Music for Four Hands (trans. Alice Kaplan, 2001) and Penelope Fitzgerald's The Knox Brothers (1977). I would like to have been able to afford the 1930's field-collection of ballads and sea-songs from Newfoundland, which opened to the most awesome version of "Willie Taylor" I have ever run into; I settled for borrowing pencil and paper from the bookseller and taking it down.

Willy Taylor, a brisk young sailor,
Full of love and full of glee,
Went to church—they marched together
Dressed in light, so rich and gay.

[two lines missing]
In walked twenty brisk young sailors,
Marched young Willy off to sea.

Then his true love followed after,
Went by the name of Richard Kerr,
With her lily-white hands and her slender fingers
To embrace the pitch and tar.

When she was out on the yardam reefing,
Doing her work amongst the rest,
Then her waistcoat did blow open
And she showed her lily-white breast.

When our captain came for to hear it,
"O, what wonders brought you here?"
"I'm in search of my own true lovyer
Who was forced from me so dear."

"If you're in search of your true lovyer,
Pray tell me what his name may be."
"His name it is young Willy Taylor;
Seven long years been gone from me."

"You rise early the next morning,
All just by the break of day;
There you'll see your Willy Taylor
Walking with his lady gay."

She rose early the next morning,
All just by the break of day;
There she saw her Willy Taylor
Walking with his lady gay.

Then she called for two bright pistols,
Which were given at her command,
And she shot young Willy Taylor
Standing at his bride's right hand.

When our captain came for to hear it,
"O, what wonders you have done!"
Then he shipped her as a first leftenant
On board of a ship nine hundred tun.

Now she is out on the ocean sailing,
Long bright sword into her hand;
Every time as she gives orders,
Makes the men tremble at her command.

(Sung by Daniel Endacott, Sally's Cove, 1929.)

If anyone has a recording of this version, please let me know; I have only Déanta's and June Tabor's, both of which have substantially less badass endings. It would make a great double-feature with "Sovay." In conclusion, I need to sleep, and Newfoundland rocks.

Comments

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I've a recording of a similar version somewhere--I'm thinking it might be Patrick Street's. Doesn't seem to be on my hard drive, but I'll have a look through the CDs.

Glad you had a good time, in any event.

[sovay]

I've a recording of a similar version somewhere--I'm thinking it might be Patrick Street's.

Cool. I'll look him up.

Patrick Street -- the band

[anderyn.livejournal.com]

The band was formed in Dublin in 1986 with Kevin Burke (formerly of The Bothy Band) on fiddle, Jackie Daly (De Dannan) on button accordion, Andy Irvine (Sweeney's Men, Planxty) on bouzouki and vocals, and Arty McGlynn (Van Morrison, Planxty) on guitar.

Yes, they do a version of William Taylor.

I just had a rummage through eMusic, and have several more versions to check through. :-)

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

It's them, actually--current lineup is Andy Irvine, Ged Foley, John Carty, and Kevin Burke, but I'm pretty sure Jackie Daly was with them in place of Carty when the track I'm thinking of was recorded. Named for one of the major streets in Cork City.

The CD's not in the rack that's by me, but I'll have a look elsewhere in a bit.

Cwaeð Pooh "Oh boðer"

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I found the CD, and as it falls out it's the lineup with Arty McGlynn rather than Ged Foley, but that version ends with her shooting him. My sorrow for getting your hopes up for naught.

I'm all but morally certain I was listening to one where she's made a ship's commander not very long ago. I'll keep looking.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I've checked more CDs, but still can't find it. Maybe I'm remembering hearing somebody sing it live--Catherine Crowe, who always comes to Catskills Irish Arts Week, has spent a lot of time in the Canadian folklore archives and has some very unusual versions of songs--but I could swear I remember it being on a CD.

I'm remembering a last verse with something like "he has made her a ship's commander/sailing out of the isle of Man".

Any road, I'll keep on looking.