"The Unfortunate Swain" and Related Songs
JASPER SMITH voice: Down In The Meadow
Jasper Smith: Down in the Meadow (Roud 18829) (1.08)
recorded by Mike Yates near Epsom, Surrey, probably April 26, 1975;
from Travellers (12TS395, 1979)
1. Oh down in the meadow the other day,
Gathering flowers both bright and both gay,
Gathering flowers both red and blue
Little had I thought what love could do.
2. So I lean my back against an oak,
3. A ship here is on the sea
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From (the publisher of the Museum) James Johnson's father Charles Johnson who said it was an old song in his young days [ref. Whitelaw, others]
IN YON GARDEN.
In “Scots Musical Museum” of Johnson, 1787, VI. p. 582
IN yon garden fine and gay,
Picking lilies a' the day,
Gathering flowers o' ilka hue,
I wistna then what love could do.
Where love is planted, there it grows;
It buds and blooms like any rose;
It has a sweet and pleasant smell:
No flower on earth can it excel.
I put my hand into the bush,
And thought the sweetest rose to find,
But pricked my finger to the bone,
And left the sweetest rose behind.
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Baring Gould F.
In the meadow t’other day
Plucking flowers both fine & gay
Plucking flowers red, white & blue
I little thought what love could do.
Where love is planted there it grows
It buds & blossoms like a rose
It bears a sweet & pleasant smell
There’s not a flower can it excell.
Ten thousand ladies in the room
My love she is the fairest bloom
………………………………….
I said I would have her or none.
Taken down from Will. Nichols, Whitchurch, May 29 1891: his grandmother’s song sung abt. 1825.
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Blue Eyed Boy.
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Unfortunate Swain, The
DESCRIPTION: The singer goes to a meadow to pick a rose and asks why he must "love a girl that will break my heart." He will love only her. "He that loves an unkind maid, I am sure he strives against the stream" When she dies he will still think about her.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1975 (recording, Jasper Smith)
KEYWORDS: love separation death ship flowers grief floatingverses nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(England(Lond))
Roud #60
RECORDINGS:
Jasper Smith, "Down In The Meadow" (on Voice11)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 22(312), "The Unfortunate Swain" ("Down in a meadow fair and gay"), unknown, n.d.
NOTES: The description is from broadside Bodleian Harding B 22(312).
Roud puts this with "Love Has Brought Me to Despair" [Laws P25]. I agree that it shares floating verses with the family of songs Roud lumps together under that number. If I had only the Jasper Smith version on Voice11 I would have done the same. The broadside Bodleian Harding B 22(312), has (almost) the same first verse and shares the remaining two verses of Smith's version including one that I haven't seen among the floaters:
A ship there is that sails the sea.
She's loaded deep as deep can be,
But not so deep as the love I'm in.
I care not whether I sink or swim.
The broadside makes it clear that the man of the couple is the singer. It ends
When my love is dead and at her rest
I'll think of her whom I love best.
To wrap her up in linen strong
I'll think of her when dead and gone.
Smith's version seems so likely to have come directly from this or a closely related broadside that I think I am justified in making the broadside and its derivative a separate song. - BS
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1. "A New Love Song"
From: Two excellent New songs. I. A new Love Song. II. Newcastle Ale, [1750?] (Roxburghe Ballads III.421, available at the English Broadside Ballad Archive, EBBA; possibly published in Newcastle by John White, ESTC T52067 )
Down in yon Meadow fresh and gay,
Picking of Flowers the other day,
Picking of Lillies red and blue:
I little thought what Love could do.
Where Love is planted there it grows,
It buds and blossoms much like a Rose;
And has a sweet and pleasant smell,
No Flower on earth can it excel.
Must I be bound, must she be free,
Must I love one that loves not me;
If I should act such a childish Part
To love a Girl that will break my Heart.
If there are thousands, thousands in a Room,
My true love she carries the brightest Bloom,
Sure she is some chosen one,
I will have her or I'll have none.
I saw a Ship sailing on the Deep,
She sail'd as deep as she could swim;
But not so deep as in Love I am,
I care not whether it sink or swim.
I set my Back against an oak,
I thought it was a trusty tree,
But first it bent and then it broke
So did my false Love to me.
I put my Hand into the Bush,
Thinking the sweetest Rose to find,
l prick'd my Fingers to the Bone,
And left the sweetest Rose behind.
If Roses be such prickly Flowers,
They should be gather'd while they're green,
And he that loves an unkind Lover,
I'm sure he strives against the stream.
When my love is dead and at an end,
I'll think of her whom I love best
I'll wrap her up Linning strong,
And think on her when she's dead and gone.
2. "The Unfortunate Swain"
From: The Merry Songster. Being a collection of songs, Printed and sold in Aldermary Church Yard, Bow Lane, London, [1770?],
ESTC T39283, available at ECCO
Down in a Meadow both fair and gay,
Plucking a Flowers the other day,
Plucking a Flower both red and blue,
I little thought what Love could do.
Where Love's planted there it grow,
It buds and blows much like any Rose;
And has so sweet and pleasant smell,
No Flower on Earth can it excell.
Must I be bound and she be free?
Must I love one that loves not me?
Why should I act such a childish Part
To love a Girl that will break my Heart.
There's thousand thousands in room,
My true love carries the highest Bloom,
Sure she is some chosen one,
I will have her, or I'll have none.
I spy'd a Ship sailing on the Deep,
She sail'd as deep as she could swim;
But not so deep as in Love I am,
I care not whether I sink or swim.
I set my Back against an oak,
I thought it had been a Tree;
But first it bent and then it broke,
So did my false Love to me.
I put my Hand into a Bush,
Thinking the sweetest Rose to find,
l prick'd my Finger to the Bone,
And left the sweetest Rose behind.
If Roses are such prickly Flowers,
They should be gather'd while they're green,
And he that loves an unkind Lover,
I'm sure he strives against the stream.
When my love is dead and at her rest,
I'll think of her whom I love best
I'll wrap her up in Linnen strong,
And think on her when she's dead and gon[e].
3. "The Unfortunate Swain. A new Song"
Broadside, no imprint, [1780?] (ESTC T010507 available at ECCO; same edition with identical woodcut and text: Harding B22(312), undated, in the allegro Catalogue & Madden Ballads, Reel 3, Frame 1936; another edition with the same text (in the last verse the lines are printed in the wrong order) but a different woodcut, published [1790?] (ESTC T050423, available at ECCO)
Down in a meadow fair and gay
Plucking a Rose the other day,
Plucking a Rose both red and blue,
I little thought what love could do.
Where love is planted there it grows,
It buds and blossoms like a rose,
And has so sweet and pleasant smell,
No power on earth can it excel.
Must I be bound that can go free?
Must I love one that loves not me?
Why should I act such a childish part
To love a girl that will break my heart.
If there's a thousand in the room,
My true love has the highest bloom,
Sure she is some chosen one,
I will have her or, I'll have none.
I spy'd a ship sailing in the deep
She sailed as deep as she could swim,
But not deep as in love I am,
I care not whether I sink or swim.
I set my foot against an oak
I thought it had been a trusty tree,
But first it bent and then it broke
And so did my true love to me.
I put my band into a bush,
Thinking the sweetest rose to find,
l prick'd my finger to the bone,
I wish I'd left that rose behind.
If roses are such prickly flowers,
They should be gathered while they are green,
And he that loves an unkind maid,
I'm sure he strives against the stream.
When my love is dead and at her rest
I'll think of her whom I love best
To wrap her up in linen strong
I'll think of her when dead and gone.
4. "A new song, intutitled Picking Lilies" From: Four excellent songs intituled, I. Picking Lillies. II. The Sailor's Lamentation. III. Low down in the Broom. IV. Willie is the Lad for me, [Newcastle upon Tyne?, 1780?] (ESTC T012281, available at ECCO)
Down in a Meadow fresh and gay,
Picking lilies all the day,
Picking lillies red and blue:
I little thought what love could do.
Where love is planted there it grows,
It buds and blossoms like any Rose;
It has so sweet and a pleasant smell,
No flowers on earth it can excel.
There's thousands, thousands in a room,
My love she carries the brightest bloom,
Surely she is the chosen one,
I will have her or I will have none.
I saw a ship sailing on the sea,
Loaded as deep as she could be;
But not so deep as in love I am,
I care not whether I sink or swim.
I set my back unto an oak,
Thinking it was some trusty tree,
But first it bow'd and then it brake
And so did my true Love to me.
I put my hand into the bush,
Thinking the sweetest rose to find,
l prick'd my Finger into the Bone,
But left the sweetest Rose behind.
If roses be such a prickly flower,
They ought to be gathered while they're green,
And he that loves an unkind lover,
I am sure he striveth against the stream.
When my love and I is gone to rest,
I'll think of her whom I love best
I'll wrap her in the linen strong,
And I'll think on her when she's dead & gone.
5. "Picking Lilies"
From: The Dandy---o. To which are added, Tippet is the dandy---o. The toper's advice. Picking lilies. The dying swan,
Glasgow 1799 (ESTCT190595, available at ECCO). A very similar text with some minor variations was published in
W. H. Logan, A Pedlar's Pack of Ballads and Songs, Edinburgh 1869, pp. 336-7 (available at The Internet Archive). His source was another chapbook: Four excellent new songs, 1. The Captain's Frolic; 2. Picking Lilies; The distressed sailors on the rocks of Scylla; 4. The Generous Gentleman, ca. 1782
Down in yon meadow fresh and gay,
Picking lilies the other day,
Picking lilies red and blue:
I little thought what Love could do.
Where love is planted there it grows,
It buds and blossoms like any rose;
It has such a sweet and pleasant smell,
No flower on earth can it excel.
There are thousands, thousands in a room,
My true love she carries the brightest bloom,
She surely is some chosen one,
I will have her or I will have none.
I saw a Ship sailing on the Sea,
As deeply loaden as she could be,
But not so deep as in love I am,
I care not whether I sink or swim.
Must I be bound shall she go free?
Must I love one that loves not me!
If I should act such a childish part,
As to love one that would break my Heart.
I put my hand into the Bush,
Thinking the sweetest rose to find,
But I prick'd my fingers to the bone,
And left the sweetest rose behind.
If roses be such prickly flowers,
They should be gather'd when they are green,
For he that wooes an unkind Lover,
I'm sure he striveth against the stream.
If my love were dead and gone to rest,
Iwould think on her that I love best,
I'll wrap her up in linen strong,
And think on her when she's dead and gone.
6. "Maid's Complaint" Text from undated broadsides in the Madden Collection (Madden Ballads, Reel 8, Frame 5377; Reel 9, Frames 5914 & 6132)
Down in a meadow fine and gay,
Plucking the flowers the other day,
Plucking the flowers red and blue:
I little thought what Love could do.
Where Love is plenty there it grows,
It buds and flowers like a Rose;
It is such a sweet and pleasant smell,
No flower on earth can it excel.
I saw a Ship sailing on the main,
As deep as ever it could swim;
But not so deep as is my pain,
I care not whether I sink or swim.
I set my back against an oak,
I took it for a trusty tree,
But first it bent and then it broke
So did my false love to me.
I put my Hand into a bush,
Thinking the sweetest flower to find,
l prick'd my finger to the bone,
And left the sweetest rose behind.
If roses are such prickling Flowers,
They should be gather'd while they are green,
And they that love inconstant lovers,
Are sure to strive against the stream.
Must I be bound and he be free,
Must I love one that loves not me;
If I should act such a foolish part
To love a man that will break my heart.
I'll lay me down and take my rest,
And think on him whom I love best;
I'll lay him up in my memory so strong,
He'll think on me when I'm dead and gone
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[Sent Gardham: See No. 2]
BL 11621 e 6. 1. 14
The Merry SONGSTER, being a Collection of Songs (18) Printed and Sold in Aldermary Church Yard, Bow Lane, London.
14 The Unfortunate SWAIN
Down in a Meadow both fair and gay,
Plucking a Flower the other Day; Picking of Flowers…..
Plucking a Flower both red and blue, Picking of Lillies red……..
I little thought what Love could do.
Where Love’s planted there it grow,
It buds and blows much like any Rose,
And has so sweet and pleasant Smell,
No Flower on Earth can it excell,
Must I be Bound and she be Free?
Must I love one that loves not me?
Why should I act such a childish Part
To love a girl that will break my Heart,
There’s thousand thousands in a room, If there are thousands, thousands…..
My true love carries the highest bloom,
Sure she is some chosen one,
I will have her, or I’ll have none.
I spy’d a ship sailing on the Deep,
She sail’d as deep as she could swim;
But not so deep as in Love I am,
I care not whether I sink or swim. …..whether it sink……
I set my back against an Oak,
I thought it had been a Tree; I thought it was a trusty Tree
But fist it bent and then it broke,
And so did my false Love to me.
I put my Hand into a Bush,
Thinking the sweetest Rose to find,
I prick’d my Finger to the Bone,
And left the sweetest Rose behind.
If Roses are such prickly Flowers,
They should be gather’d while they’re green,
And he that loves an unkind Lover,
I’m sure he strives against the stream.
When my Love is dead and at her rest
I’ll think on her whom I love best,
To wrap her up in Linnen strong, I’ll rap…..
I’ll think on her when dead and gon,