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Handsome Molly
Traditional Old-Time Song; Widely known
ARTIST: Rolling Stones Version
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes DATE: 1927 recording, Grayson & Whitter.
RECORDING INFO: Grayson & Whitter, "Handsome Molly" (Victor 21189, 1927; on GraysonWhitter01, LostProv1) Blake, Norman. Rising Fawn String Ensemble, Rounder 0122, LP (1979), cut#B.01. Bluestein, Evo. Evo's Autoharp, Greenhays GR 715, LP (1985), cut# 7.Bursen, Howard (Howie). Cider in the Kitchen, Folk Legacy FSI-074, LP (1980), cut# 2. Carr, Kevin. 15th Annual Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest, Black Mountain Mi 7775, LP (197?), cut# 1a. New Lost City Ramblers. Old-Time String Band Songbook, Oak, Sof (1964/1976), p 35 Seeger, Mike. Old Time Country Music, Folkways FA 2325, LP, cut# 14. Watson, Doc; and Gaither Carlton. Old-Time Music at Clarence Ashley's. Part 1, Folkways FA 2355, LP (1961), cut# 13. Watson, Doc. Essential Doc Watson, Vanguard VCD 45/46, CD (1986), cut#23. West, Harry and Jeanie. Smokey Mountain Ballads, Counterpoint/Esoteric CPT-545, LP (197?), cut# 9.
Some Recordings of Handsome Molly
Grayson & Whitter (1927)
Old Time Music At Clarence Ashley's (Vol. 1): Watson & Carlton (1961)
The Country Gentlemen Sing and Play Folk Songs And Bluegrass:
The Country Gentlemen (1961)
Folk Song Festival: Stanley Brothers (1962)
Traditional Music from Grayson and Carroll Counties, VA: Various Artists-
Glen Neaves) (1962)
Old Time Country Music: Mike Seeger (1962)
The Country Gentlemen on the Road: The Country Gentlemen (1963)
Treasures Untold: Doc Watson (1964)
Chicago Mob Scene- A Folk Song Jam Session: Various Artists-
Larry Ehrlich (196?)
Folk Banjo Styles: Tom Paley (196?)
From The Maple On The Hill: Wade Mainer (1976)
Going Down Lee Highway: Grayson & Whitter (1977)
The Bergerfolk, Vol. 4 - Pack Up Your Sorrows: The Bergerfolk (1978)
Rising Fawn String Ensemble: Norman Blake (1979)
Smokey Mountain Ballads: Harry West & Jeannie (197?)
Cider In The Kitchen: Howard Bursen (1980)
Hits From Home: Tom Bledsoe & Rich Kirby (1982)
Wild Over Us: Duffy Brothers (1982)
Grinning In Your Face: Martin Simpson (1983)
Evo's Autoharp: Evo Bluestein (1985)
Acoustic Music To Suit Most Occasions: The Deighton Family (1988)
Odd Man In: Tim O'Brien (1991)
Treasures Untold: Doc Watson (1992)
1959-1963 Box Set: Flatt & Scruggs (1992)
Early Starday-King Years 1958-61: The Stanley Brothers (1994)
Original Folkways Recordings of Doc Watson and Clarence
Ashley, 1960-1962 (1994)
Ian & Sylvia: Ian & Sylvia (1995)
Stanley Series, Vol 3 #4: Stanley Brothers (19??)
1963-64 Newport Folk Festival Recordings: Doc Watson (19??)
Going Down Lee Highway 1927-1929 Recordings: Grayson and Whitter (19??)
Ballads & Songs: Various Artists (Grayson & Whitter) (19??)
Alex Campbell, Ola Belle & Deacon (19??)
RELATES TO: "Black-Eyed Mary;" "Lovely Molly;" “Loving Hannah;” “Farewell Ballymoney;” Irish Girl; Going Across the River to Hear My Banjo Ring; Gee Whiz What They Done to Me;
OTHER NAMES: "Hannah My Love"
SOURCES: Silber-FSWB, p. 148, "Handsome Molly;" Folk Songs of Peggy Seeger-Oak; Sing Out-Vol. 2; Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc;
NOTES: Handsome Molly is a version of the “Irish Girl/Farewell Ballymoney” branches of tunes. Below are notes on both related branches.
NOTES ON FAREWELL BALLYMONEY: Farewell Ballymoney branch includes the titles "Black-Eyed Mary," "Lovely Molly" and "Loving Hannah." Here are some collected versions: Randolph 749, "Black-Eyed Mary" Meredith/Anderson, p. 172, "Lovely Molly;" Sharp/Karpeles-80E 44, "The Irish Girl;" S. Henry H625, pp. 342-343, "Dark-Eyed Molly"; H615, p. 343, "Farewell Ballymoney;" Kennedy 155, "Going to Mass Last Sunday;" MacSeegTrav 63, "I Went to Mass on Sunday;" Lomax-FSNA 103, "Loving Hannah."
The setting of this song varies widely. One stanza, however, is fairly characteristic: I went to church last Sunday/ My true love passed me by/I could see her mind was a-changing/By the rolling of her eye.
This stanza also shows up in some versions of "The Irish Girl." “I believe the old-time country song "Handsome Molly" to be a form of this piece (and most experts agree)” Traditional Ballad Index.
NOTES ON IRISH GIRL: "Irish, Air (4/4 time). A Major. Standard. One part. "This beautiful air, and the accompanying words, I have known since my childhood. I have copies of the song on broadsheets, varing a good deal, and much corrupted. The versions I give here of air and words are from my own memory, as sung by the old people of Limerick whin I was a child. More than half a century ago I gave this air to Dr. Pertie: and it is included in the Stanford-Petrie collection of Irish music, with my name acknowledged. But the words, as I give them here, have hitherto never been published though I have seen very corrupt versions in print" (Joyce). This melody served as the vehicle for many a folksong in the English speaking world, and versions have been collected in Canada, America and Australia. Cazden (et al, 1982) notes that several lumbercamp ditties were sung to it, including "Peter Emberley," some versions of "The Jam at Gerry's Rock," "The Farmer's Son and the Shanty Boy," and his Catskill Mountain (New York) collected "Adieu to Prince Edward's Isle." Phillips Barry identifies the tune strain for another Irish song in Petrie's collection, #498, "The Maid of Timahoe." (Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc).
IRISH GIRL:
As I walked out one evening down by a river side,
While gazing all around me an Irish girl I spied;
A rosy red was on her cheeks, and coal-black was her hair;
And costly were the robes of gold this Irish girl did wear.
MORE NOTES: Handsome Molly is regarded as a version of the "Farewell Ballymoney/Loving Hannah" family of songs (with which it shares several verses and the whole plot, as well as melodic similarities). Paul Stamler, however, observes that "The plotline is similar, but I'd be inclined to split off 'Molly' and class the 'went to church on Sunday' verse as a floater. Look at it this way -- if you ask old-time musicians to play 'Handsome Molly' about 95% can do so, but if you ask them to play 'Farewell Ballymoney' at least 95% will go, 'Hah?'"
LYRICS:
I wish I was in London,
Or some other seaport town.
I'll set myself on a steamship,
And I'll sail the ocean round.
While sailing around the ocean,
While sailing around the sea.
I dream of Handsome Molly,
Wherever she might be.
Her hair's as black as raven,
Her eyes as black as coal.
Her teeth are like lilies,
That in the morning glow.
Oh, don't you remember, Molly
You gave me your right hand
You said that if you married
Well I would be your man
And now you've gone and left me
Go on with who you please
My poor heart is aching here
Lying at your ease
And I go down to the river
When everyone's asleep
I dream of handsome Molly
And sit right down and weep
I wish I was in London
Or some other seaport town
I'll set myself on a steamship
And I'll sail the ocean round
While sailing around the ocean,
While sailing around the sea,
I'd dream of Handsome Molly,
Wherever she might be.
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