Gypsy Davy- Hughes (NC) 1918 Sharp J
[My title, I've changed Sharp's spelling of Gipsy to Gypsy to be consistent. Single stanza from: English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, collected by Cecil J. Sharp also Olive Dame Campbell. Edited by Maud Karpeles, Volume I, published 1917, 1932. Notes from 1932 edition follow, then Sharp's diary entry.
R. Matteson 2015]
Notes No. 33. The Gypsy Laddie.
Texts without tunes:—-Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads, No. 200. C. S. Burne's Shropshire Folk-Lore, p. 550. Gavin Greig's Folk-Song of the North-East, ii, art. 110. Irish and English broadsides. Garret's Merrie Book o' Garlands, vol. i. A. Williams's Folk Songs of the Upper Thames, p. 120. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xix. 294; xxiv. 346; xxv. 171-5. Broadside by H. de Marsan, New York (a comic parody).
Texts with tunes:—-Songs of the West, 2nd ed., No. 50. Folk Songs from Somerset, No. 9 (also published English Folk Songs, Selected Edition, i. 13, and One Hundred English Folk-Songs, p. 13). Gavin Greig's Last Leaves, No. 60. Scots Musical Museum, ii, No. 181. Cox's Folk Songs of the South, pp. 130 and 524. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xviii. 191 ; xxii. 80 (tune only) ; xxx. 323. British Ballads from Maine, p. 269. Davis's Traditional Ballads of Virginia, pp. 423 and 590. McGill's Folk Songs of the Kentucky Mountains, p. 15. Sandburg's American Songbag, p. 311.
Version A is published with pianoforte accompaniment in Folk Songs of English Origin, 2nd Series.
The first two lines of the second stanza of text A provide a good instance of the stereotyped idiom of the ballad. Owing to the almost invariable description of a 'steed' as 'milk-white' the term has come to lose its literal significance, and in the mind of the singer a 'milk-white steed' means merely a horse. Similarly the folk will sing without any sense of contradiction of a 'false true lover.'
Sharp diary 1918 page 281. Saturday 5 October 1918 - Burnsville
Had a very restless night but feel that we ought to make an expedition to day. So we hire a team from Biggs and drive via Wray’s farm on Cave river up Price’s Creek to Mrs Mary Blankenshipp. We had dinner with her & her husband who by the way reminded me in many ways of my old father. We got on very well with them and stayed till after 3, Mrs B[lankenshipp] singing me 4 or 5 capital tunes. Then on the way home we stayed near Lee Allen’s farm to see Mrs Delie Hughes. We had only time to stay half an hour but found her a good singer & a great character. She and husband lived in a tiny cabin and were clothed in rags, presenting a sorry sight. We promised to be back again next Wednesday in the morning to hear her sing again. She called Maud the "pretty little girl" and when I said that would make her conceited & Maud said I was jealous she said "Well I like the old boy and it is clear he has graduated in music". We got home at 7.15 after a long day of 9 hours very tired but not unpleased with the results of our labours.
J. [Gypsy Davy] Sung by Mrs. DELIE HUGHES at Cane River, Burnsville, N. C., Oct. 5, 1918
Hexatonic. Mixolydian.
The squire come home late in the night,
Enquiring for his lady.
She answered him with a quick reply:
She's gone with the gypsy[1] Davy.
Rattle tattle ding, tattle ding, tattle, ding, ding,
Rattle tattle ding die-ai-sy,
Rattle tattle ding, sing liddle ding a ding,
Sing liddle diddle ding die-ai-sy.
1. Sharp had "gipsy."