Bluegrass Messengers

I Know My Love (by his Way of Walking) variants

Mardyke is an area by the river Lee in Cork.

 
I Know My Love
Roud Broadside Index (B101077)
First Line: I know my love by his way of walking
Source: Walton's Treasury of Irish Songs & Ballads (1947) p.34
Roud No: 60
Format: Book
Src Contents: Text
Other nums: Laws P25
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I Know My Love
Roud Folksong Index (S208978)
First Line: I know my love by his way o' walkin'
Source: Hughes, Irish Country Songs 1 pp.70-73
Performer:
Date:
Place: Ireland
Collector:
Roud No: 60

1st book of Herbert Hughes' 'Irish Country Songs' 1909

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There is a dance house in The Mardyke. The dance house was St. Francis' Hall in The Mardyke in Cork city, where according to Jimmy Crowley "Everyones mother met everyones father"

I Know My Love is generally considered to be an Irish variant of the large song group that includes The Tavern, Died for Love, and so on, and which is widespread throughout the English-speaking world.[Malcolm Douglas]

Hughes "Irish Country Songs" collection that has I KNOW MY LOVE

There is a song, THE QUEEN OF HEARTS, which is of Scottish origin, and relates to the marriage of Elizabeth, who was the elder sister of James I of England, and a very nice person, to the ELector of Hanover, who was a complete pillock save for the fact that Elizabeth loved him dearly. The Queen of hearts does not come with the chorus - Martin Carthy did a very nice version - I know my love is later, Irish, and sets the same events into a more common surrounding. While I know my love is more commonly known, much of the sentiment and meaning (Jacobite in nature) is lost in it[Craig S.]

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Subject: RE: Req. I know my love
From: Jimmy C - PM
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 09:20 PM

Ciaran, My mother used to sing this song, and her words are almost exactly the same as yours, except she sang "Ardent Rover" rather than "Errant Rover". All else is the same.

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The lyrics as sung by The Corrs

I know my love by his way of walking
And I know my love by his way of talking
And I know my love dressed in a suit of blue
And if my love leaves me, what will I do?

chorus:
And still she cried, "I love him the best,
And a troubled mind, sure can know no rest"
And still she cried, "Bonny boys are few,
And if my love leaves me, what will I do?"

There is a dance house in Maradyke
And there my true love goes every night
He takes a strange girl upon his knee
Well now don't you think that that vexes me?

chorus:
And still she cried, "I love him the best,
And a troubled mind, sure can know no rest"
And still she cried, "Bonny boys are few,
And if my love leaves me, what will I do?"

If my love knew I can wash and wring
If my love knew I can sew and spin
I'd make a coat of the finest kind
But the want of money sure leaves me behind

chorus:
And still she cried, "I love him the best,
And a troubled mind, sure can know no rest"
And still she cried, "Bonny boys are few,
And if my love leaves me, what will I do?"

I know my love is an arrant rover
I know he'll wander the wild world over
In dear old Ireland he'll no longer tarry
An American girl he's sure to marry

chorus:
And still she cried, "I love him the best,
And a troubled mind, sure can know no rest"
And still she cried, "Bonny boys are few,
And if my love leaves me, what will I do?"

chorus:
And still she cried, "I love him the best,
And a troubled mind, sure can know no rest"
And still she cried, "Bonny boys are few,
And if my love leaves me, what will I do?"

What will I do?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

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I Know My Love
Roud Folksong Index (S238658)
First Line: I know my love by his way of walking
Source: Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society 2 (1905) p.24
Performer: Nono, Donat
Date:
Place: Ireland : Co. Clare : Ennis
Collector: Laird, Helen
Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society, London, Volume 2 By Irish Folk Song Society 1904

"I Know My Love" Helen Laird
Since contributing the little fragment I knew of this South Irish song (with the tune) in the last issue of the Journal (Vol. I., pp. 52~3), I have obtained two more verses from Donut None, of Ennis, Secretary of the local branch of the Gaelic League. He got the verses from somebody in Clare. Nono‘s father was a Belgian, an organist, and his mother a Clare woman. I now give the complete song. H- L

I know my love by his way of walking,
And I know my love by his way of talking,
And I know my love drest in a suit of blue;
And if my love leaves me what will I do?

             Chorus:
And still she cried, I love him the best,
And a-troubled mind, sure, can know no rest.
But still she cried, Bonnie boys are few.
And if my love loves me, what will I do ?

If my love knew I could wash and wring,
And if my love knew I could weave and spin,
I could make a suit all of the finest kind.
But the want of money it l'aves me behind.

Chorus.

Alas, my love he's an errant rover.
And, sure, he‘ll travel the wide world over,
For in dear old Ireland he'll no longer tarry,
For an English daimsel[1] he'll surely marry.
       Chorus.

There is a dancehouse in Mar-(a)-dyke,
And ‘tis there my dear love goes every night;
And he takes a strange one all on his knee,
And don't you think but it troubles me?
  Chorus.

1. I have substituted “ damsel " for a courser word [whore] which I got in the original; it is more usually Sung as above.
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Sharp's EFSSA II, 1932

No. 190
I Love my Love
Hexatonic (no 4th).
Sung by Mrs. ELLEN WEBB
at Cane River, Burnsville, N. C, Sept. 21, 1918
—&-
1. All my friends fell out with me
Because kept my love's company;
But let them say or do what they will,
I love my love with a free good will.

2 Over the mountain I must go,
Because my fortune is so low;
With an aching heart and a troubled mind
For leaving my true love behind.

3 The Powers above look down and see
The parting of true love and me.
'Tis as hard to part the moon and sky
As it is to part true love and I.

4 When I have gold she has her part,
And when I have none she has my heart;
And she gained it too with a free good will,
And upon my honour I love her still.

5 The winter's past and summer's come,
The trees are budding one by one;
And when my true love chooses to stay,
I'll stay with her till the break of day.