Oh, no. Harper plays the Lyrics Game.

[kniteracy]

Heartened by the fact that I actually knew some of the songs on redaxe's Lyrics Game List earlier this morning, I thought to myself, "Gosh! Maybe I should play, too! I mean, how hard could it be, setting my iTunes to shuffle and just throwing out the first line of the first 20 songs that come up?"

The Harper who said those words obviously had forgotten what is in her mp3 collection. The first song that came up was a version of "Twa Corbies." Um, in Swedish, or maybe Finnish. Then there were three songs with the titles prominently displayed in the first line. I despaired. I said, "filceolaire, what do I do?" And J, who is a big old sadist (who knew!?) said, "Just put them in there, to demonstrate that your collection is either completely unintelligible or dead easy." Well, except the other-than-English language ones that I can't even spell....

So here are 20 first lines from my mp3 collection. I took out instances where two or three versions of the same song followed one another and have tried to put in the most accessible version where this occurred. I did not include field recordings. I also left out songs performed/written by me (only one came up). I promise I do have some pop music in my collection-- it just didn't show up on this list. And yes, I would have put it in there, even if it was Cyndi Lauper. ;)


Play Harper's Lyrics Game?

Twenty random songs from my mp3 shuffle displayed below for your consternation or amusement. Googling is cheating. If a song comes with several versions, just tell me what you know about it. If you're not sure who the performer is, tell me who recorded your favourite version. I will post the answers in 24 hours. I will be surprised if anybody can guess more than two or three of these. Hell, I'd be surprised if I could guess more than two or three of them. Well, not really. ;)


1. If all those young men were as rushes a-growing --guessed by fionnabhar
2. A bold young farmer courted me, he gained my heart and liberty
3. Where've you been all the day, Henry my son? --guessed by pocketnaomi
4. The boar's head in hand bear I, bedecked with bays and rosemary --guessed by smallship1
5. The last time I saw you was down at the Grace --guessed by asknosecrets --and incorrect lyrics pointed out by him, as well.
6. If you miss the train I'm on, you will know that I am gone -- guessed by pocketnaomi
7. Oh, the maid went down to the well with the wash, and the dew fell down on her snow white flesh
8. There were two sisters side by side, sing i-tum and sing i-tay --guessed by angevin2
9. Johnny arose on a May morning, got the water to wash his hands --guessed by mdlbear
10. As I went down to Derby upon a market day --guessed by tig_b
11. As I rode out one evening fair, it being summer, to take the air, I spied a sailor and lady gay, and I stood to listen --guessed by occams_pyramid
12. As I was walking down the way, a feeling fine and larky-O --guessed by asknosecrets
13. I fight the force of evil, I'm a cowboy dressed in white
14. Oh, the sky was dark and the night advanced when a convict came to the Isle of France
15. Well friends, hereby hangs a tale, the year was 1931 --guessed by autographedcat
16. I'll tell you the tale of Mister Fox, how he came courting me --guessed by mbumby
17. Oh the king he sits in Dunfirmlin town, drinking the blood red wine -- guessed by fionnabhar
18. One evening as I rambled among the springing thyme --guessed by smallship1
19. There was a lady and a lady gay, of children she had three --guessed by resourceress
20. Lay down your burden, lay down your care, the holy virgin, she's gonna greet you up there --guessed by fionnabhar

Comments

[pocketnaomi.livejournal.com]

3: it's a version I've generally heard done by Pete Seeger of the old "Make up my bed for soon I shall die" song, but I forget the title.

6: 500 Miles

[telynor.livejournal.com]

Pete calls it "Henry My Son," and that is of course Pete Seeger.

I'll call both correct; that is indeed 500 Miles; the version I was listening to was the Kingston Trio's.

[tig-b.livejournal.com]

I think 10 is one of the ram songs? - there are several with the same first line although the choruses are very different, eg 'the Derby Ram', 'Derby Ram' or 'Ram Song'

[telynor.livejournal.com]

You are correct. This version's called "Ram of Derby", and it's by John Roberts and Tony Barrand, a pair of English ethnomusicologists and folksingers who have a following in the USA, particularly for their Christmas carol events, called "Nowell Sing We Clear".

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

1. Green Grow the Rushes
10. Derby Ram
17. Sir Patrick Spens

[telynor.livejournal.com]

1. Nope. :)
10. Correct, but guessed moments before you by tig_b.
17. Correct. This is Nic Jones' version, which is my favourite.

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

Well, #4 is the Boar's Head Carol, but probably not the version I know which is Steeleye Span. #15 is that union song that decadentdave does, but I don't know the title. And #18 is some form of "Reynardine," possibly Pentangle/Bert Renbourn/John Jansch or one of that crowd.

And that's three more than I've managed in anyone else's lyric game in a long while.

[telynor.livejournal.com]

4. Yes, and done by Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band, so you're not far off.
15. Yes, but I need a title. ;)
18. Absolutely-- this was the Show of Hands version, but as you might imagine I have no less than eight version of Reynardine in my collection. :)

[asknosecrets.livejournal.com]

5. I know it says Grace, not Greeks, and I'm sure the song I know is Greeks, but... The Last Time I Saw You Was Down At The Greeks?

I know it's cheating to just repeat it, so, is it the one that goes "There was whiskey on Sunday and tears on our cheeks" - The Pogues?

[asknosecrets.livejournal.com]

And speaking of The Pogues,

12 - Recruiting Sargeant, part of the Medly on If I Should Fall From Grace With God.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

15. Well friends, hereby hangs a tale, the year was 1931

"Small Rebellions" -- guessing its the Dandelion Wine version. Original was by James Keelaghan.

I *heart* that song.

[telynor.livejournal.com]

You are correct.

[mbumby.livejournal.com]

Me too, although I don't remember it well enough to recognize it from that line.

[occams_pyramid]

Several of those could be various trad songs, but 11 is I think Dark Eyed Sailor

[mdlbear]

Probably from Steeleye Span; at least that's where I heard it.

[telynor.livejournal.com]

Yes, 11 is Dark Eyed Sailor, this version from Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts

[mdlbear]

9 is Johnny O'Braides Lea -- I'm listening to the Oak, Ash, and Thorn version right now.

[telynor.livejournal.com]

Yes, this version from June Tabor.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

And yes, I would have put it in there, even if it was Cyndi Lauper. ;)

Well, she does play mountain dulcimer, you know, so I don't see anything embarrassing about her.

[resourceress.livejournal.com]

19. "Three Babes" - The version I know best is by Cordelia's Dad, although Steeleye Span has a version with a different opening line called "The Wife of Usher's Well". Ah, the joys of the folk process... I'm generally so bad at this game, if I get even one right I feel happy.

[telynor.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is a version of the Wife of Usher's Well, which is the name Sharp and various others collected it under. This is an Appalachian version, titled "The Lady Gay", sung by Dick and Anne Albin, and a very sweet version it is too.

[mbumby.livejournal.com]

This would be a lot easier for me if I had any sort of a good memory, you know.

#8 sounds a lot like one of those "repeat-a-lot" songs... perhaps the one with the tag of "I'll be true to my love if s/he'll be true to me."

I think I'll kick myself when I learn 11. Don't think it's "17 come sunday" but I think it was on the same album I first heard that on.

#13 makes me think of one of the Dave C./D. Wine tune... The ... something. Male rambler-hero type. My vocabulary's been getting smaller since 4th grade. Not the only song I've heard by that name... Arrgh... And I'm not home so I can't look at my CDs. Course it's probably not that anyhow.

#16 -- no clue which variant on Mr. Fox this is.

#19 sounds like one where all 3 of her kids get killed -- probably in war.

But 3, 6, and 10 I would have gotten. Now on to read the answers...

[telynor.livejournal.com]

I'll give you 16, as the song is indeed a Mister Fox song, called unsurprisingly, "Mister Fox". This version is by a band called Whirligig, and I don't know very much about them; folkmew gave me this version when I was collecting versions of "Reynardine" awhile back.

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

Okay, 7 is clearly "The Maid and the Palmer." My favorite version of it is by Steeleye Span

8 is probably some version of "The Two Sisters/Cruel Sister/Binnorie," though those lyrics are not suggesting a particular version to me.

11 is "Dark-Eyed Sailor," recorded by pretty much everybody.

19 appears to be "Lady Gay," a version of "The Wife of Usher's Well," and IIRC those are the lyrics Joan Baez sings, though I'm sure others do that version as well.

I'd have gotten a bunch of the others too, but I didn't get here soon enough. Folkies FTW! ;)

[telynor.livejournal.com]

8 is indeed a "Two sisters" versions, this one recorded by Clannad, though the "sing i-tum, and sing i-tay" version (which also comes with a "the boys are bound for me" repeated line) is part of the Irish family of variants. I think I first heard this version from Aoife Clancy.

11 and 19 also correct, but others got there in comments before you!

#20

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

Oh, good lord. Here I've been going hummity-hum all day and coming up with cans of spray paint and thinking I was losing my mind. This ice storm is apparently giving me too much free time today.

"Graffiti Limbo"--Michelle Shocked.

*headdesk*

Re: #20

[telynor.livejournal.com]

*laugh*

That was the "one of these things is not like the other" song in this list, I think. ;)

Yes, of course you are correct.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

8 is the version of two sisters as I've heard it sung by Clannad. ("I'll be true unto my love, if he'll be true to me!" continues the rest of the chorus)

11 DarkEyed Sailor I know the Steeleye Span (Maddy Prior) version of, the words don't change much from version to version though.

6 I know, but it's already guessed.

That's all from my direct experience. Though funny that one thinks we SHOULD know all the others, heh? :->

[telynor.livejournal.com]

All correct, but others got there ahead of you in comments. The version of two sisters (Clannad) is even right, though as noted in comments above, "the boys are bound for me" version is typically Irish and has been recorded by a lot of people. That's a song that's travelled nearly as far as Barbara Allen.