X:620110
T:GB/6b/11 A Lawyer Fine and Gay
T:Version 1
C:Sung by Mrs. Verrall, Horsham, Sussex, 1908
C:Collected by FW Jekyll
F:http://archives.vwml.org/record/GB/6b/11
Z:Transcribed by Simon Furey and Lewis Jones
L:1/8
M:6/8
Q:"(Editorial suggestion)" 3/8=80
K:C
E | A2 B c2 A | G2 E C2 G | c2 d e2 c |
w: It's of a law-yer fine and gay, Went rid-ing through some
[M:9/8] (B2 c) d3 c2 d | e e c d3 (c2 B) |
w:ci-_ty, It was there he es-pied a_
A B c (E2 D) C2 D |[M:6/8] E E E E2 D | (A2 G) A2 |]
w:fair pret-ty maid,_ She was hand-some and tall and pret-_ty.|
%%wordsfont Serif 12
W:
W:1. It's of a lawyer fine and gay,
W: Went riding through some city;
W: It was there he espied a fair pretty maid;
W: She was handsome and tall and pretty.
W:
W: 2. "May I go with you, my pretty maid?"
W: He asked her so dearly;
W: "You can do as you please, kind sir," she said,
W: "But my father is there a-mowing."
W:
W: 3. This lawyer he got off his horse,
W: Thinking that he might gain her,
W: When she took such a fright right over the way,
W: Thinking he might undo her.
W:
W: 4. This lawyer ran like any deer,
W: Till he did overtake her,
W: When all that he whispered in her ear
W: Was what a fine lady he'd make her.
W:
W:
W: 5. "I will take you up to fair London town,
W: "And all such lovely places,
W: "I will busk you into a silken gown,
W: "Gold rings and gold chains and gold laces."
W:
W: 6. "I will have none of your silken gowns,
W: "Nor go to none of your fine places.
W: "I'll never be busked in a silken gown,
W: "Gold rings nor gold chains nor gold laces."
W:
W: 7. "I never will be a lawyer's wife,
W: "To live in a house of ruin;
W: "I would rather be a poor man's wife.
W: "My husband loves me dearly."
W:
W: 8. "I would rather be a poor man's wife.
W: "My husband loves me dearly,
W: "And between us both we manage to keep
W: "A poor little innocent baby."
%%text
%%text Editorial notes: The tune is similar to that of GB/7b/25. For Version 2 see GB/6b/10.
%%text The following authorities have added notes to the MS of this tune. They are:
%%text Ralph Vaughan Williams:
%%vskip -6
%%text Note the Aeolian cadence in this otherwise purely Ionian (or major) tune -R.V.W.
%%text Douglas Kennedy:
%%vskip -6
%%text Is this the original of "Mowing the barley" now so much sung?
%%vskip -6
%%text As "Oh where beese gwying" a version can be seen in Rev. G. Hill's
%%vskip -6
%%text "Wiltshire Folk Songs and Carols". -DK
%%text Cecil Sharp:
%%vskip -6
%%text The following* is the last stanza of a Warwickshire version. The rest of the words are not substantially
%%vskip -6
%%text different from the above set. -C.J.S.
%%text
%%text *i.e. GB/6b/11A -Ed.