Recordings & Info 76. The Lass of Roch Royal
[Beginning perhaps with Come Along, Come Along My Pretty Little Miss, a Virginia song that appeared in 1898 in The Folk-lore Journal (Great Britain) article The London Ballads by W. H. Babcock, versions of songs that include the "Who will shoe your pretty little feet?" verses have been categorized as Child No. 76. These songs do not tell the story of Lord Gregory and the Lass of Roch Royal and are not properly versions of Child No. 76. Since The Lass of Roch Royal has these verses (the questions are two verses and the responses are two verses), many ballad scholars have labeled unrelated songs as Child 76 when these two verses are present.
Come Along, Come Along My Pretty Little Miss also appeared in the "Additions and Corrections" volume of Child's "English and Scottish Popular Ballads" which was published after his death by Kittredge in 1898. It is one of many US songs associated with The Lass of Roch Royal. Actual versions that tell the story of the ballad are rare.
R. Matteson 2012]
CONTENTS:
1) Alternative Titles
2) Traditional Ballad Index
3) Folk Index
4) Child Collection Index
5) Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
6) Wiki
7) Mainly Norfolk (lyrics and info)
8) On Child 76 and 173 in Divers Hands- A. H. Scouten; discusses "He's Gone Away."
ATTACHED PAGES: (see left hand column)
1) Roud No. 49: The Lass of Roch Royal (161 Listings)
2) An Accused Queen in "The Lass of Roch Royal"
3) Mrs. Brown's "Lass of Roch Royal"
Alternative Titles
Lord Gregory
Sweet Annie of Roch Royal
Annie of Rough Royal
Annie of Lochryan
Fair Annie and Gregory
Lass of Roch Royal
Love Gregor
Sweet Annie of Roch Royal
Titles that include "Who will shoe your pretty little feet?" verses:
My Lady's Slipper
A-Roving On A Winter's Night
Roving On Last Winter's Night
Who's Goin' to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot
Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot
Who Will Shoe My Pretty Little Feet?
Traditional Ballad Index: Lass of Roch Royal, The [Child 76]
DESCRIPTION: (Anne) misses her love (Lord Gregory). She sets out to meet him. When she comes to his castle, Gregory's mother turns her (and her son) away. When Gregory arrives/awakens to meet his love, he find Anne dead (drowned) and gone
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1776 (Herd)
KEYWORDS: separation death mother betrayal floatingverses
FOUND IN: Britain(England,Scotland) US(Ap,MW,So,SE,SW) Canada(Ont)
REFERENCES (29 citations):
Child 76, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (12 texts)
Bronson 76, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (23 versions+1 in addenda, though many are generic "Pretty Little Foot" versions; I would regard only #1, #3, #4, #4.1 in the addenda, #5, #16, and #21 as being true versions of this piece, and the first two of those are fragments; #2 has the correct title but no text)
GordonBrown/Rieuwerts, pp. 160-167, "Fair Anny," "Love Gregor," (2 parallel texts)
Dixon X, pp. 60-62, "Love Gregory" (1 text, plus a "pleasing imitation" called "Lord Thomas," printed 1825, on pp. 99-100)
Greig #60, p. 2, "Fair Annie of Lochroyan" (1 fragment, a verse of "Fair Annie of Lochroyan" from Peter Buchan "after Willie succumbs.")
GreigDuncan6 1226, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (4 texts plus a single verse on p. 568, 1 tune)
Lyle-Crawfurd1 13, "Lord Gregory" (1 text)
Flanders-Ancient2, pp. 174-177, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (2 fragments, one of which is probably "The Lass of Roch Royal" but the second being "Pretty Little Foot"; 1 tune)
Belden, p. 55, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (notes and references only)
Randolph 18, "Oh Who Will Shoe My Foot?" (8 texts, 5 tunes, with only the "C" and "G" versions clearly belonging here; most of the rest are "Pretty Little Foot" texts; "D," "E," and "F" are probably "Fare You Well, My Own True Love") {G=Bronson's #16}
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 37-39, "Oh, Who Will Shoe My Foot" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 18G) {Bronson's #16}
BrownII 22, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (2 texts, clearly this song, but with the "Storms are on the ocean" verse; this is either the original of the latter or the two combined)
Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 122-123, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (sundry excerpts from versions she did not collect; the versions Scarborough collected are of "Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot," "Honey Babe/New River Train," and "I Truly Understand That You Love Some Other Man")
Ritchie-Southern, pp. 78-79, "Fair Annie of the Lochroyan" (1 text, 1 tune) {cf. Bronson's #5, a rather different transcription though of the same approximate version}
Fowke-Ontario 42, "Lord Gregory" (1 text, 1 tune)
Leach, pp. 253-256, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (1 text)
OBB 43, "The Lass of Rochroyan" (1 text)
Friedman, p. 78, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (3 texts, 1 tune, with only the "A" text being this ballad)
Niles 31, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (2 texts, 2 tunes, the second clearly "The Lass of Roch Royal" but the first could be any "Who's Goin' to Shoe" song)
Gummere, pp. 223-227+352, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (1 text)
Sandburg, 98-99, "Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot" (3 texts, 1 tune; of the three texts here, "C" is definitely a fragment of this piece, "B" is "The Storms Are on the Ocean"; the "A" text is a "pretty little foot" version)
Combs/Wilgus 21, pp. 118-121, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (1 text)
DBuchan 12, "The Lass of Roch Royal" , 13, "Love Gregor" (2 texts)
JHCox 13, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (2 texts, but one is a "Pretty Little Foot" version)
MacSeegTrav 10, "The Lass of Roch Royal" (1 text, 1 tune)
HarvClass-EP1, pp. 65-68, "Love Gregor" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 214, "The Lass Of Roch Royal" (1 text)
BBI, ZN1259, "I built my love a gallant ship"
DT 76, LORDGREG LORGREG2 LRDGREG2*
Roud #49
RECORDINGS:
Elizabeth Cronin, "Lord Gregory (The Lass of Roch Royal)" (on FSB4, FSBBAL1)
Peggy Delaney, "Maid of Aughrim" (on IRTravellers01)
Jean Ritchie, "Fair Annie of Lochroyan" (on JRitchie01) {Bronson's #5}
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot" (floating lyrics) and references there
cf. "Fare You Well, My Own True Love (The Storms Are on the Ocean, The False True Lover, The True Lover's Farewell, Red Rosy Bush, Turtle Dove)" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Mary Anne" (lyrics)
cf. "Blackbirds and Thrushes (I)" (theme)
cf. "More Pretty Girls than One" (tune)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Lord Gregory
A-Roving On A Winter's Night
Roving On Last Winter's Night
Who's Goin' to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot
Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot
Sweet Annie of Roch Royal
Annie of Rough Royal
Annie of Lochryan
NOTES: This song has created a great deal of confusion, because of the attempt of certain scholars to make everything a Child Ballad. Some versions of this song contain the verses beginning "Who will shoe your pretty little foot, And who will glove your hand...." Therefore, anything containing these verses is filed by those scholars as Child #76, even though the songs they so file often contain no other portions of "The Lass of Roch Royal" -- and in fact the "pretty little foot" stanzas are not integral to "Roch Royal"; it's my personal feeling that they originated elsewhere and floated into this song, rather than the reverse.
For this yearson, it may be that some of the versions listed here should be classified with "The Storms Are on the Ocean" or other some other song with the "who will shoe your pretty little foot" lyrics. (I eventually tried to clean those out, but it's hard to do after the fact, and for too long I just trusted people who stamped a song "Child 76.") The floating stanzas about shoeing the girl's feet are simply too widespread for any classification effort to be entirely successful; hence the Ballad Index staff created the entry "Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot."
After much hesitation, we finally ended up dividing the complex family of songs involving those lyrics as follows:
* "The Lass of Roch Royal" for the ballad of that title
* "Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot" for fragments too short to classify at all
* "Mary Anne" for the versions specifically about that girl
* "Fare You Well, My Own True Love (The Storms Are on the Ocean, The False True Lover, The True Lover's Farewell, Red Rosy Bush, Turtle Dove)," for everything else.- RBW
GreigDuncan6 1226C has a happy ending. The lady, called Janet here, sails safely away, apparently not hearing Lord Gregory's cries because of the rough weather. He apparently goes crazy "among the wild wood swine" in someone's park and is "put in strong prison," apparently by the owner. Janet hears of that, sails back and brings him home. That is sort of "A Maid in Bedlam" ending -- especially broadside Bodleian Firth c.18(139) -- with sexes reversed.
Of Child's versions, Peggy Delaney's "Maid of Aughrim" on IRTravellers01 is closest to 76H. - BS
Folk Index: Lass of Roch Royal [Ch 76]
Rt - Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet/Foot
At - Fair Annie and Gregory ; Love Gregory ; Oh Open the Door, Lord Gregory
Sandburg, Carl (ed.) / American Songbag, Harcourt, Sof (1955/1928), p 99 (Fair Annie of Lochroyan)
Friedman, Albert B. (ed.) / Viking Book of Folk Ballads of the English-S, Viking, sof (1963/1957), p 79 [1850s]
Johnson, James & Robert Burns (eds) / Scots Musical Museum, Amadeus, Bk (1991/1853), # 5 [1787] (Oh Open the Door, Lord Gregory)
Leach, MacEdward / The Ballad Book, Harper & Row, Bk (1955), p253 [1790ca]
Carlisle, Irene. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p120/# 18G [1941/12/09] (Georgie Jeems)
Collins, Judy. Fifth Album, Elektra EKS-7 300, LP (1965), trk# B.02 (Lord Gregory)
Corries. Peat Fire Flames & Stovies, Moidart MOICD 018, CD (2000), trk# 1.11 [1977] (Lord Gregory)
Cronin, Elizabeth. Folk Songs of Britain, Vol 4. The Child Ballads, I, Caedmon TC 1145, LP (1961), trk# B.06 [1950s] (Lord Gregory)
Dobson, Bonnie. For the Love of Him, Mercury SR 60987, LP (1964), trk# A.04 (Lord Gregory)
Equation. Dark Ages EP, I Scream EQEP 001, CD (200?), trk# 2 (Lord Gregory)
Haines, Mrs. J. J.. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p 83/# 13A [1916/01/15] (Fair Annie and Gregory)
Hall, Mrs. Frank. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p117/# 18C [1930/12/10] (Love Gregory)
Jenkins, Tim. Bonnie Sue Cleland; Tales of Love and Death, Jenkins, CD (2011), trk# 8
Lyons, Tim. Easter Snow. Traditional Irish Songs, Green Linnet SIF 1014, LP (1978), trk# A.03 (Lord Gregory)
MacColl, Ewan. Long Harvest. Traditional Ballads in their English, Scots and..., Argo ZDA 069, LP (1967), trk# B.01 (Lord Gregory)
MacColl, Ewan. Long Harvest. Traditional Ballads in their English, Scots and..., Argo ZDA 069, LP (1967), trk# B.02
MacColl, Ewan. MacColl, Ewan / Folk Songs and Ballads of Scotland, Oak, Sof (1965), p58 (Lord Gregory)
Morris, Neil. Southern Journey. Vol. 1: Voices from the American South, Rounder 1701, CD (1997), trk# 7 [1960/10/06] (Lass of Loch Royal/Lochroyan)
Power, Peg Clancy. Down by the Glenside, Folk Legacy FSE 008, LP (1963), trk# 5 (Lord Gregory)
Ritchie, Jean. British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains (Vol. 1), Folkways FA 2301, LP (1961), trk# 11 (Fair Annie of Lochroyan)
Seeger, Peggy. Long Harvest. Traditional Ballads in their English, Scots and..., Argo ZDA 069, LP (1967), trk# b.03 (Georgie Jeems)
Seeger, Peggy. Tom Paley and Peggy Seeger, Elektra EKL 295, LP (1966), trk# A.03
Silly Sisters. Silly Sisters, Takoma 7077, LP (1977), trk# 3 (Lass of Loch Royal/Lochroyan)
Tuft, Harry. Across the Blue Mountains, Folk Legacy FSI 063, LP (1976), trk# 4 (Lord Gregory)
Weill, Rita. Rita Weill Sings Ballads and Folksongs, Takoma A 1022, LP (1968), trk# 11 (Lord Gregory)
Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet/Foot [Sh 114/Ch 76/Me II-D 2]
Rt - Lass of Roch Royal ; I Truly Understand [That You Love Another Man] ; Little Red Shoes ; Storms Are on the Ocean ; Blue Eyed Boy ; Single Girl, Married Girl ; True Lover's Farewell ; Who's Gonna Be Your Man? ; He's Gone Away ; Who's Gonna Hold Her Hand
Rm - Green Valley Waltz ; Oh Have You Seen the Turtle Dove
Pb - My Last Cigar
Uf - Lass of Roch Royal
Pb - Who Will Hold My Stovepipe Hat
Sandburg, Carl (ed.) / American Songbag, Harcourt, Sof (1955/1928), p 98 (Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet)
Wenner, Hilda; & Freilich, E. (eds.) / Here's to the Women. 100 Songs f, Syracuse Univ. Press, Sof (1987), p 3
Silverman, Jerry (ed.) / Folksingers Guitar Guide, Oak, Sof (1961), p32
Taussig, Harry / Teach Yourself Guitar, Oak, Sof (1971), p140
Friedman, Albert B. (ed.) / Viking Book of Folk Ballads of the English-S, Viking, sof (1963/1957), p 83 [1920s] (Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet)
Winds of the People, Sing Out, Sof (1982), p138
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Hootenanny Tonight!, Gold Medal Books, sof (1964), p152
Lomax, Alan / Folk Songs of North America, Doubleday Dolphin, Sof (1975/1960), p216/#109
Blood, Peter; and Annie Patterson (eds.) / Rise Up Singing, Sing Out, Sof (1992/1989), p 15
Scofield, Twilo (ed.) / An American Sampler, Cutthroat, Sof (1981), p 91b
Silverman, Jerry / Folksingers Guide to Note Reading and Music Theory, Oak, Sof (1966), p33b
Silverman, Jerry / Folk Guitar - Folk Song, Scarborough Book, Sof (1983/1977), p 13
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Folk Song Abecedary, Bonanza, Bk (1966), p356
Abe and Malka. Mandelblatt, Abe & Malka A. / 100 Guitar Accompanyments, Amsco, Sof (1974), p180
Angel Band. All the Good Times, Cardinale CDLP, LP (197?), trk# B.03 (Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet)
Bachman, Johnny. Room at the Top, JHU, LP (197?), trk# A.06 (Who Will Shoe Your Foot/Feet)
Blue Sky Boys. Presenting The Blue Sky Boys, JEMF 104, LP (1976/1965), trk# 4
Charles, Lee. Our Singing Heritage. Vol I, Elektra EKL 151, LP (1958), trk# 10
Dane, Barbara. Anthology of American Folk Songs, Tradition TR 2072, LP (196?), trk# A.05
Davis, Bill. Smoky Mountain Melodies, Old Tradition BWD 61172, LP (1972), trk# A.03
Davis, Lowery. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p278/#159 [1934-39] (Lonesome Turtle Dove)
Drake, Rod. Owens, William A. (ed.) / Texas Folk Songs. 2nd edition, SMU Press, Bk (1976/1950), p 21 [1952] (Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet)
Guthrie, Woody; and Cisco Houston. Poor Boy, Folkways FTS 31010, LP (1968), trk# A.03 (Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Feet)
Guthrie, Woody. Sing Out Reprints, Sing Out, Sof, 2, p35 (1960)
Jones, Clayton. Traditional Autoharp, Sunny Mountain EB 1006, LP (197?), trk# A.01
Jones, Mrs. W. E.. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p116/# 18B [1928/02/14] (Oh, Who Will Shoe My
Karl and Harty. Karl & Harty with the Cumberland Ridge Runners, Old Homestead OHCS 137, LP (197?), trk# 10
Long, Louise. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p116/# 18A [1927/03/06] (Oh, Who Will Shoe My Foot)
Maulden, Mrs. F. E.. Moore, Ethel & Chauncey (ed.) / Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest, Univ. of Okla, Bk (1964), p 60/# 21B [1930s] (Who Will Shoe Your Foot/Feet)
McCord, May Kennedy. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p117/# 18D [1934/04/19] (Oh, Who Will Shoe M
McCord, May Kennedy. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p119/# 18F [1941/10/21] (Oh, Who Will Shoe M
McFalls, Fred; and Ben Bryson. Comin' Round the Mountain, Voyager VLRP 302, LP (1968), trk# 19 (Where Did You Get Those Pretty Little Shoes)
O'Neill, Callista. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p121/# 18H [1941/09/02] (Oh, Who Will Shoe My F
Paley, Tom; and Peggy Seeger. Tom Paley and Peggy Seeger, Elektra EKL 295, LP (1966), trk# A.04
Poynter, Bertha. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p118/# 18E [1939/02/05] (Sweet Jane)
Seeger, Peggy. Long Harvest. Traditional Ballads in their English, Scots and..., Argo ZDA 069, LP (1967), trk# B.04 (Who Will Shoe Your Foot/Feet)
Seeger, Pete. Seeger, Pete / American Favorite Ballads, Oak, fol (1961), p65
Seeger, Pete. American Favorite Ballads, Smithsonian/Folkways SFW-CD 40155, CD( (2009), trk# 2.07 [1958] (Poor Boy)
Sharpe, W. J. (Rev.). Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p 87/# 13B [1916/01] (My Lady's Slipper)
Smith, Ralph Lee. Allan Block & Ralph Lee Smith, Meadowlands MS 1, LP (1971), trk# A.04
Stater, Phil (Philbrick). Niles, John Jacob / Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, Bramhall House, Bk (1961), p167/N 31A [1930s]
Tarleton, Jimmie (Jimmy). Steel Guitar Rag, Testament T 3302, LP (1967), trk# A.07 [1963/12/04] (Pretty Little Girl)
Unidentified Group. Owens, William A. (ed.) / Texas Folk Songs. 2nd edition, SMU Press, Bk (1976/1950), p 20 [1941] (Who Will Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet)
Wharton, Alice. Moore, Ethel & Chauncey (ed.) / Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest, Univ. of Okla, Bk (1964), p 59/# 21 [1940s] (Oh, Who Will Shoe Your Bonney Feet?)
Wilcox, Pres. Niles, John Jacob / Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, Bramhall House, Bk (1961), p169/N 31B [1933/08]
Excerpt from The British Traditional Ballad in North America
by Tristram Coffin 1950, from the section A Critical Biographical Study of the Traditional Ballads of North America
76. THE LASS OF ROCH ROYAL
Texts: Lass of Roch Royal Story: Brown Coll / Combs, F-S Etats-Unis, 134 / Cox, F-S South, 83 / Cox, W. Va. School Journal and Educator, XLV, 347 / Haun, Cocke Cnty, 107.
Examples of "Shoe My Foot" Stanzas: Anderson, Coll Bids Sgs, 29 / Barry, Brit Bids Me, 149 / Belden, Mo F-S, 4808. / Brewster, Bids Sgs Ind, 92 / Bull Tenn FLS, II, #i, 23 / Cambiaire, Ea <Ienn Wstn Va Mt Bids, 72 / Chappell, F-S Rnke Alb, 128 / Child, III, 511 / Cox, F-S South, 87 / Davis, Trd Bid Va, 260 / Focus, III, 275 ; IV, 49 / Folk Lore Journal, VII, 31 / Fuson, Bids Ky Hghlds, 131 / Garrison, Searcy Cnty, 33 / Henry, F-S So HgUds, 69 / Henry, Sgs Sng So Aplchns, 24, 175 6 / Hudson, F-S Miss, 91 / Hudson, F-T Miss, 21 / Hummel, OzF-S / Guy B. Johnson, John. Henry, 98 ff. / JAFL, IV, 156; XXII, 240; XXVI, 181; XXVIII, 147; XLVT, 49 / Kolb, Treasury F-S, 40 / Mason, Cannon Cnty, 17 / Niles, Bids Crls Tgc Lgds, 6 / N.C. Booklet, XI, 29 / Randolph, Oz F-S, I, 115 / Richardson, Am Mt 5 37 1 Sandburg, Am Sgbag, 37, 98, 1267; Scarborough, Sgctcbr So Mts, 123 / SharpC, EngF-S So Aplc&ns, #s 56A, 61 A, 87, 9-{.C/ SharpK, EngF-S So Aplchns, II, #s 87, 94.0,
109 A, 1 14 A/ Shearin and Combs, Ky Syllabus, 8 / Spaeth, Weep Some More My Lady, 1 34 5 / Reed Smith, SC Blds, 1 52 3 IV a FLS Bull, #s 2 10.
Local Titles: Fair Annie and Gregory, Lass of Roch Royal, Love Gregor, My Lady's Slipper, Sweet Annie of Roch Royal, Who Will Shoe My Pretty Little Feet ? (See also the list at the end of the Discussion.)
Story Types A: A girl with a new-born child goes to find her true love in a boat given her for the purpose by her father. A month later, when she reaches her lover's land and door, his mother answers her knock. The old woman accuses the girl of being a witch, etc., and, although the baby is freezing to death, will not believe that this is her son's sweetheart. She de-
mands the love tokens, but, upon seeing them, says Gregory has another love now and slams the door. (At this point there is a mix-up of person, for the sleeping lover seems to be talking to the girl.) When Gregory awakes from his sleep, he tells his mother he has dreamed that his sweetheart was at the door. The mother relates what really happened. The lover curses her
and races to the shore just in time to see his love's ship split in two drowning both her and their child. He then pulls the girl's body ashore and, after much mourning, dies of a broken heart. The "shoe my foot" sequence is at the start.
Examples: Combs, Cox (A).
B: The "shoe my foot" stanzas or stanza is often used as a song by itself, frequently with foreign material attached.
Examples: Davis (A); Henry, F-S So Hghlds (A); Sandburg (B).
C: These "shoe my foot" stanzas, divorced from the story, are put in the mouth of a man in Maine.
Examples: Barry (A).
D: This type is a combination of "careless love" lines, the ship and voyage vestiges of the story, the "shoe my foot" stanzas, and the refrain from Child 10. A girl's lover leaves her. She has her father build her a ship, follows him, and reaches the door of his home. His mother casts her out. It seems, she then finds her love dead in the sea.
Examples: Haun.
Discussion: There are few versions of this ballad in America, if the extremely popular "shoe my foot" stanzas are discounted. The Type A texts follow Child D in story and detail, while Type D is a corruption of what was probably the same material. Other lines have become attached to the tale, and the ending has been turned about in transmission. The text is a fine example of amalgamation and degeneration.
"Shoe my foot" stanzas are common all over the country. Whether they can be fairly considered native to Child 76 is questionable. They stand alone as songs (Davis, Trd Bid Fa, A-U; Sandburg, Am Sgbag, B); stand in conjunction with foreign matter (Davis, op. cit., Appendix A-I, Cox, F-S South, 413 ; Cambiaire, Ea lenn Wstn Va Mt Bids, 72; SharpC, EngF-S So A<plclns, 270); and infiltrate into all sorts of places. Belden, Mo F-S, 55, 48off.; Davis, op. cit., 260; and Henry, F-S So Hghlds, 6jH. discuss these lines in America. For Americanization of the material, Scarborough, Sgctchr So Mis, 124 (Honey Babe) and Odum and Johnson, Negro Workaday Songs (Who's Going to Buy Tour Whiskey 1) should be consulted, along with The Blue-eyed Boy printed in Belden, of. cit., 478. Of all the varied combinations of these stanzas with other material, perhaps the Chappell, F-S Rnke Alb, 128 text is the most interesting. Here "shoe my foot" lines, the "dove" stanzas from Lady Alice (85), and the "my love is like a rose" stanzas that Burns adopted (See MLR, VI, 514) are combined into one song. Also check
Davis, op. cit., Appendix D, p. 272.
A list of songs frequently corrupted by "shoe my foot" is: Kitty Kline, The False True Lover, John Henry, John Hardy, Wild Bill Jones, The Gamblin' Man, Lord Randal, James Harris, I Truly Understand, Careless Love, The Foolish Girl, My Dearest Dear, The Storms Are on the Ocean, The True Lover's Farewell, The Rejected Lover, Cold Winter's Night, The False Young Man, The Irish Girl, Turtle Dove, Mother's Girl, He's Gone Away, Bright Day, Hush o Hush You'll Break My Heart, Carolina Mountains, a
Negro Dancing Song. There are others.
The Lass of Roch Royal From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lass of Roch Royal is Child ballad number 76, existing in several variants.[1]
Synopsis
A woman comes to Gregory's castle, pleading to be let in; she is either pregnant or with a newborn son. His mother turns her away; sometimes she tells her that he went to sea, and she goes to follow him and dies in shipwreck. Gregory wakes and says he dreamed of her. He chases her, finds her body, and dies.
Variants
Alternate titles of "The Lass of Roch Royal" include "Lord Gregory", "Fair Anny", "Oh Open the Door Lord Gregory" and "Mirk Mirk". The New-Slain Knight has, in some variants, verses identical to those of some variants of The Lass of Roch Royal, where the woman laments her baby's lack of a father. Also Child ballad number 216 ("The Mother's Malison") is almost identical to "The Lass of Roch Royal" only in a reversed manner, telling the story of a young man looking for his beloved.
Recordings
"Lord Gregory" on The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell by The Corries (1965)
"Lord Gregory" on Fifth Album by Judy Collins (1965)
"Anne of Lochroyan", by Isla StClair, recorded 1971 (Tangent Records)
"Lass of Loch Royal" on Silly Sisters by Silly Sisters (1976)
"Lord Gregory" on Peat Fire Flame by The Corries (1977)
"Lord Gregory" on "Crook of My Arm" by Alasdair Roberts (2001)
"Lord Gregory" on Bloody Men by Steeleye Span (2006)
[edit] See alsoThe Mother's Malison
References
1.^ Francis James Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads, "The Lass of Roch Royal"
External links: Lord Gregory
Mainly Norfolk: Lord Gregory / Lass of Loch Royal
[Roud 49; Child 76; Ballad Index C076; trad.]
Shirley Collins learned this ballad of betrayal by the lover's mother, Lord Gregory, from the singing of Elizabeth Cronin. She sang it unaccompanied on her and Dayy Graham's album Folk Roots, New Routes.
Maddy Prior's version with the title Lass of Lock Royal seems to be more a ballad of rape and abandonment. She sang it on her and June Tabor's album Silly Sisters, accompanied by Nic Jones, guitar; Danny Thompson, bass; and Gabriel McKeon, Uilleann pipes. The album's sleeve notes comment:
This is part of a longer (and rambling) ballad; this portion is sometimes known as Lord Gregory.
In fact, it is listed as Lass of Loch Royal (#76) in Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads; but Maddy Prior's rendering is somewhat different from Child's versions.
Maddy Prior sang this ballad again as Lord Gregory on Steeleye Span's 2006 CD, Bloody Men. She commented in the sleeve notes:
I first heard this from the singing of Paddy Tunney, but it is many years since I heard his delicate rendition, and I expect there have been some changes. I don't have the most accurate musical ear, nor the best memory, so the folk process will be at its most evident in my versions of traditional songs. This is a beautifully portrayed picture of a devastating romantic encounter that leaves the girl in despair, given the social mores of the day.
Lyrics
Shirley Collins sings Lord Gregory
I am a poor young girl that's straight from Cappoquin,
I'm in search of Lord Gregory, pray God I'll find him.
The rain beats my yellow locks and the dew wets me still,
My babe is cold in my arms, Lord Gregory, let me in.”
Lord Gregory, he's not here and henceforth can't be seen,
For he's gone to bonny Scotland to bring home his new queen.
So leave now these windows and likewise this hall,
For it's deep in the sea you should hide your downfall.
But who will shoe my babe's little feet? Who'll put gloves on her hand?
Who will tie my babe's middle with a long linen band?
Who will comb my babe's yellow hair with an ivory comb?
Who will be my babe's father till Lord Gregory comes home?
Do you recall, darling Gregory, that night in Cappoquin
When we both changed pocket handkerchiefs and me against my will?
For yours was pure linen, love, and mine but coarse cloth,
For yours cost a guinea, love, and mine but one groat.
Do you remember, love Gregory, that night in Cappoquin
When we changed rings on our fingers and me against my will?
For yours was pure silver, love, and mine was but tin,
For yours cost a guinea, love, and mine but one cent.
Now my curse on you, Mother, my curse being so
Sure I dream the girl I love came a-knocking to my door.
Sleep down, you foolish son, sleep down and sleep on
For it's long ago that weary girl lies drowning in the sea.
The saddle me the black horse, the brown and the bay,
Come saddle me the best horse in my stable today.
And I'll range over mountains, over valleys so wide
Till I find the girl I love and I'll lay by her side.
Maddy Prior sings Lass of Loch Royal on Silly Sisters
I am a King's daughter come straight from Cappoquin,
In search of Lord Gregory, may God I'll find him.
The rain beats at my yellow locks, the dew wets me still,
The babe is cold in my arms, love, Lord Gregory let me in.
Lord Gregory is not here and he henceforth can't be seen,
For he's gone to bonny Scotland to bring home his new queen.
Leave now these windows and likewise this hall,
For it's deep in the sea you will find your downfall.
Do you remember, love Gregory, as we sat at the wine?
We exchanged rings and aye, the best was mine.
Yours was the purest gold and mine but false tin,
Yours it cost a guinea, love, but aye, 'twas false within.
Do you remember, love Gregory, that night in Cappoquin?
You stole away my maidenhead and sore against my will.
So open these windows, open and let me in,
The rain rains on my good clothing and the dew stands on my chin.
I have built a bonny boat all covered with pearl,
And at every needle tuck in it there hangs a silver bell.
But I'll take down that mast of gold and set up a mast of tree,
For it does not suit a forsaken maid to sail so royally.
And I'll leave now these windows and likewise this hall,
For it's deep in the sea I will find my downfall.
Maddy Prior sings Lord Gregory on Bloody Men
I am a King's daughter come straight from Cappoquin
In search of Lord Gregory, may God I'll find him.
The rain beats at my yellow locks, the dew wets me still,
The babe is cold in my arms, love, Lord Gregory let me in.
The rain rains on my good clothing, the dew stands on my chin,
The babe is cold in my arms, love, Lord Gregory let me in.
Do you remember, love Gregory, that night in Cappoquin?
We exchanged handkerchiefs and sore against my will.
Four yours it was fine linen, love, and mine but course cloth,
Yours it cost a guinea, love, and mine but one groat.
Do you remember, love Gregory, as we sat at the wine?
We exchanged rings and aye, the best was thine.
For yours it was the purest gold and mine but false tin,
Yours it cost a guinea, love, but aye, 'twas false within.
Do you remember, love Gregory, that night in my father's hall?
You stole away my maidenhead, and that's the worst of all.
Lord Gregory is not here and he henceforth can't be seen
For he's gone to bonny Scotland to bring home his new queen.
Lord Gregory is not here and he lately has gone,
He's gone to bonny Scotland to bring his new bride home.
So leave now these windows and likewise this hall,
For it's deep in the sea you will find your downfall.
She's took her young son in her arms, turned from that cold hall,
Saying, deep in the sea we will find our downfall.
On Child 76 and 173 in Divers Hands [only info on Child 76 included]
by A. H. Scouten
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 64, No. 251 (Jan. - Mar., 1951), pp. 131-132
ON CHILD 76 AND 173 IN DIVERS HANDS: - Further evidence keeps turning up to support Wayland D. Hand's timely warnings in his Journal editorial (Jan.-March, 1948, p. 82) concerning the strange happenings to the traditional ballads now being made
available to the general public, and to illustrate his statement of the need "to combat the many negative forces at work in the field of the folk arts by insisting on greater fidelity to source materials... ." In an album of phonograph recordings (Capitol CC75) released early in 1948 and called "American Folk Songs," there is included the song "He's Gone Away" (a variant of "The Lass of Roch Royal"). In the descriptive statement on the album, we are told that "In the arranging of these songs," the arranger "has been careful to preserve the modal form characteristic of each individual melody...." The singer had evidently heard John Jacob Niles' rendition of "He's Gone Away" and used it (with due permission), but in Mr. Weston's arrangement, in which he was so careful to preserve the modal form, he found it necessary to cut Mr. Niles' "Look away, look away over yanders mountain" to "Look away, look away over yan dro," whatever that means. In July, 1948, appeared a Bantam Book treasury of folk songs entitled Frankie and Johnnie. On pages 40-41 are two stanzas and a score of "He's Gone Away," a song which they say is known as "The Lass of Loch Royal," an example of dissimilation. This version ends with "over Yandro," and the score seems close to the melody of the Capitol recording. Then the editors refer the reader, for a sample rendition, to the Burl Ives recording, Decca A43I. But Ives sings another variant, does not include the last line of the Niles version, and sings a different tune. At any rate, we have a new capital noun added to the language- "Yandro"; the process may be called dissimulation.