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Spencer the Rover

[ Roud 1115 ; Master title: Spencer the Rover ; TYG 3 ; Ballad Index K331 ; VWML RoudFS/S161920 ; Bodleian Roud 1115 ; Wiltshire 680 , 966 ; trad.]

The Copper Family: The Copper Family Song Book Bob Copper: Songs & Southern Breezes Paul & Liz Davenport: Down Yorkshire Lanes Mary and Nigel Hudleston: Songs of the Ridings Frank Purslow: The Foggy Dew Steve Roud, Julia Bishop: The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs Ken Stubbs: The Life of a Man Frank Kidson: Traditional Tunes

Spencer the Rover is one of the best-known songs in the repertoire of the Copper Family. Bob Copper collected it in about 1954 from Jim Barrett, at the Fox in North Waltham, Hampshire, and printed this version in his book Songs and Southern Breezes. This recording was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of songs by Southern English traditional singers, You Never Heard So Sweet (The Voice of the People Series Volume 21). Bob and Ron Copper sang Spencer the Rover in a recording made by Peter Kennedy in 1955 on their 1963 EFDSS album Traditional Songs From Rottingdean; this track was also included in 1998 on the EFDSS CD A Century of Song and the whole album was reissued in 2001 as part of their Topic anthology Come Write Me Down. Bob, Ron, Jill and John Copper recorded Spencer the Rover in 1974 on their 4 LP set A Song for Every Season; this track was also included on the 3 CD anthology New Electric Muse. Bob, John and Jill Copper and Jon Dudley sang Spencer the Rover on the 1998 CD Coppersongs 3: The Legacy Continues. The latter recording is also on The Folk Awards 2001. The Copper Family also sang this song on 27 September 1986 live at Will’s Barn in Denby Dale, Yorkshire.

Bob Copper and Bob Lewis sang Spencer the Rover at a concert at Nellie’s Folk Club, The Rose and Crown Hotel, Tonbridge, Kent, on 17 October 1999. This concert was released in 2017 on their Musical Traditions CD The Two Bobs’ Worth.

This YouTube video shows the Copper Family at Cecil Sharp House, probably in 2011:

Arthur Wood of Middlesborough sang Spencer the Rover to Colin Wharton in 1962. This recording was published in 2019 on the Musical Tradition’s anthology Songs of the North Riding, which contains the field recordings of Wharton’s 1962 Leeds University degree thesis “Folk Songs From the North Riding”.

Jim Porter sang Spencer the Rover in a recording made by Brian Matthews at The Three Cups, Punnetts Town in 1965. It was included in 2001 on the Musical Traditions anthology Just Another Saturday Night: Sussex 1960: Songs From Country Pubs. Rod Stradling noted in the accompanying booklet:

A popular song in southern England (56 Roud entries), which has been made famous by the version collected from and sung by the Copper family of Rottingdean. However, instances have been found as far north as Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and one, only one, from Yorkshire. This, collected in 1907 by R.A.A. Gatty, was sung by George Hall in the village of Hooton Roberts which, I’m extraordinarily pleased to be able to tell you, really is “at Yorkshire, near Rotherham”—about three miles from the town, in fact!

The missing first part of Jim Porter’s song is supplied from the version sung by Ursula Ridley, of West Hoathly, rather than the Coppers—just by way of a change.

Ursula Ridley’s just mentioned version was collected by Ken Stubbs in 1962 and he printed it in his EFDSS book of English folk songs from the Home Counties, The Life of a Man.

Shirley Collins sang Spencer the Rover on her 1967 album The Sweet Primeroses, accompanied by her sister Dolly Collins on her flute-organ. She noted:

This song could be the synopsis for a very considerable 19^th century epic novel. I imagine Spencer with ruddy cheeks, black sideburns and leather gaiters. The unsurpassed domestic bliss in the last chapter fadeout has everyone beaming happily. The lines of the verse are very long, and I appreciate the sound sense of Bob and Ron Copper of Sussex in sharing the third line out between the two of them. Dolly’s counter-melody is not in any way counter to the spirit of the song.

Peter Bellamy and Louis Killen sang Spencer the Rover live at the Folk Studio, Norwich, on 22 June 1971. This concert was issued on their LP Won’t You Go My Way?.

John Roberts and Tony Barrand sang Spencer the Rover in 1971 as the title track of their first album, Spencer the Rover Is Alive and Well and Living in Ithaca. They noted:

One of the first songs we learned when we started to sing together. It comes from the Copper family of Rottingdean, Sussex just before the turn of the century. They were singing their songs in harmony long before that, something relatively rare in the English tradition.

Horden Raikes sang Spencer the Rover in 1972 on their eponymous Folk Heritage album Horden Raikes.

Muckram Wakes (John Tams and Roger and Helen Watson) sang Spencer the Rover in 1973 as the first track of their first album, A Map of Derbyshire. Roy Harris noted:

Spencer the rover rested eventually, but his song didn’t! Wherever and whenever English folk songs are sung, someone will raise up Spencer. It goes back a long way, too. Miss M.H. Mason collected this version “from the singing of a Derbyshire peasant” circa 1885. [VWML RoudFS/S161920] The twist from the standard melody intrigued me, and also caught the fancy of Muckram Wakes during one of our frequent song-swapping sessions.

So here is their version, another step in Spencer’s progress! Join in! And help keep Spencer on the rove!

Robin Dransfield sang Spencer the Rover in 1980 on his album Tidewave which was reissued in 2008 as half of the CD A Lighter Touch. He noted:

Spencer the Rover, from my native Yorkshire has been one of my favourite English songs since I discovered the tradition, nearly twenty years ago. It has long been my ambition to sing it with a brass band—a bit tricky—but Bob White, who wrote the arrangement, and Chris Stearn made it all possible.

Danny Spooner sang Spencer the Rover on his 1987 album When a Man’s in Love. He noted:

From the great Yorkshire tradition, this song has appeared many times in print and on record. Kidson believed it to have been made by a wandering ballad singer “who has not been endowed with much poetical genius”; but despite Kidson’s pomposity the song is a powerful and unequivocal evocation of the lessons to he learnt from the separation from loved ones.

An Albion Dance Band recording of Spencer the Rover made in 1988 with Polly Bolton singing lead was included in 1995 on Ashley Hutchings’ anthology The Guv’nor Vol. 3.

John McCormick sang Spencer the Rover on his 1998 CD with Maggie Boyle and Steve Tilston, Between Our Hearts, and Steve Tilston sang it on his 2005 CD Of Many Hands on which he and Nigel Schofield noted:

From the singing of The Copper Family.

Muriel Graves, of Cockermouth, Cumbria, taught this wonderful song to Brian Dawes, a good friend of mine and also a fine singer from Cockermouth, which is how I first heard it. Muriel was the partner of Hamish Imlach, and apparently, both she and Brian remember singing it to a young John Martyn, in a car on the way back from a gig. Here’s to Muriel and Brian.
—Steve

The song is most commonly associated with the Copper Family of Rottingdean: in fact Bob Copper collected it in 1954 from Jim Barrett. Given that folksongs normally become localised, it is surprising that the Sussex/Hampshire version retains a reference to Rotherham. Unless, of course, Spencer was a real person…

He is not the normal gypsy wanderer of folksongs. He is forced from his home by poverty and leaves in search of work—peripatetic rather than peregrinatious. There has been much conjecture about the song—including a very plausible theory that it relates to a soldier returning from the Peninsular campaign. The song makes its first appearance in the 1830s and was clearly a hit of its day, given the large number of broadside reprints of its words. The choice of Guy Fawkes’ Day for his departure is also seen by some as laden with significance. Certainly, it is an odd time of year to commence on one’s travels.

Mick Ryan and Pete Harris sang Spencer the Rover in 1999 on their WildGoose album Hard Season. They noted:

Another beautiful English country song. Well known by its place in the repertoire of The Copper Family, it is nonetheless irresistible to many revival singers; including us!

Chris Wood sang Spencer the Rover in 1999 on his and Andy Cutting’s album Knock John. He tersely noted:

Spencer the Rover is just… one of those songs.

Emily Portman sang Spencer the Rover in 2001 on her Somerset College of Art & Technology EP Persephone.

Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer sang Spencer the Rover on their 2007 CD Sliptease. They noted:

In true folk style this song was first heard in a pub session, the tune that we sing is the one that came home with us that night from the pub. Deviations from the ‘original’ must be attributed to Adnams’ Broadside. The tune was named for Andy Jackson who runs the fantastic Miskin festival where we discovered that we could sing! (another thing to blame Adnams for).

Corncrow (Kim Guy and Steve Hunt) recorded Spencer the Rover in autumn 2010 for their debut EP Sweet Nightingale.

Jon Boden and Fay Hield sang Spencer the Rover as the 4 November 2010 entry of Boden’s project A Folk Song a Day, and Fay Hield sang it in 2011 on the Woodbine & Ivy Band’s eponymous album The Woodbine & Ivy Band. Jon noted in his project’s blog:

A brilliantly singable ballad from the Coppers. We sing it at Royal Traditions, partly because of the local connection in the lyrics.

Cupola (Sarah Matthews, Oli Matthews and Doug Eunson) sang Spencer the Rover, followed by the tune Roros Pulse, on their 2011 album Ivy. They noted:

This is a local version of the well-loved classic, taken from the singing of a Derbyshire peasant around 1885—our thanks to Muckram Wakes. In this particular version Spencer travels quite far afield and passes through the Roros region of Sweden, learning how to dance the polska along the way!

Andy Turner sang Spencer the Rover a year later as the 4 November 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week. He noted:

When my friend Mike and I started plundering A Song for Every Season Spencer the Rover grabbed our attention very early, and remained a firm favourite. It never occurred to me that I might want to learn another version; to be honest, it never really occurred to me that there might be any other versions. But then I came across this gloriously crooked tune, collected by Vaughan Williams in Kent. I knew (from Roy Palmer’s Folk Songs Collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams) that the composer had noted at least one song from a Mr and Mrs Truell of Gravesend in December 1904. And on a visit to the library at Cecil Sharp House I looked through Vaughan Williams’ manuscripts (then, as now, held on gloriously user-unfriendly microfilm) to see if the couple had given him any other songs. Indeed they had and with some interesting tunes among them. But none so interesting as this one. At first I think I viewed it as a curiosity which I was unlikely to want to sing. But then I tried it on the concertina, and found that it cried out for some pretty interesting chords—which actually seemed to make the song more singable.

All too often, Vaughan Williams wrote down the words of a single verse, or even no words at all. For once, with this song, that suited me—it meant I didn’t have to try to learn a new set of words, but could stick with the Copper Family verses we all know and love.

This recording was made in 2005 for possible inclusion on the Anglo International CD set, but not used; with 5 November approaching, it seemed a shame to waste it.

Said the Maiden sang Spencer the Rover on their 2013 EP Come Hither.

Findlay Napier sang Spencer the Rover in 2014 on his and Chris Sherburn’s Cheery Grove album Two Men on a Boat.

Son of John (Jacob Johnson) sang Spencer the Rover on his 2016 album Autumn’s Hymn.

Dave Burland and the Awkward Squad sang Spencer the Rover in 2017 on their FatCat album Okkard.

Peter Knight’s Gigspanner sang Spencer the Rover on their 2017 CD The Wife of Urban Law.

Allister Thompson sang Spencer the Rover on his 2017 album Larkrise Revisited.

Hannah Martin sang Spencer the Rover in 2019 on Edgelarks’ CD Feather. She noted:

I’ve always loved this song, and I sing it for my dad, who always was a wanderer.

Far Flung Collective sang Spencer the Rover on their 2020 album Black Bay. They noted:

A new arrangement by Alex [Roberts] of the lovely traditional English tune made famous by John Martyn, about the English wanderer.

Sam Lee sang Spencer the Rover in 2020 on his Cooking Vinyl album Old Wow. He noted:

Learned from the Copper Family of Rottingdean who sing so kindly the healing power of nature.

Tarren sang Spencer the Rover on their 2024 album Outside Time. They noted:

A true gem from the Copper family repertoire. Made ever more relevant and poignant by the continued decline of the natural world that Spencer feels the need to ramble through before it disappeared. This song reminds us of the importance of love and togetherness over a life of solitude and uncertainty.

Jim Moray sang Spencer the Rover on a September 2024 download single. He noted:

The song is associated with the Copper Family of Rottingdean—Bob and Jim Copper first recorded the song in 1955 for an EFDSS record and it has become one of the family’s best known songs. It’s also associated with John Martyn, who learned the song from Robin Dransfield of the Dransfields in the early 70s. I’ve been singing the song since the mid-00s but hadn’t found a place on an album for it until now.

Lyrics

Jim Barrett sings Spencer the Rover

This song was composed by Spencer the Rover,
Who’d travelled most parts of Great Britain and Wales,
There had been much reducing which caused great confusion,
And that was the reason a-rambling I went.

In Yorkshire near Rotherham still being on my rambles,
Being weary of travelling I sat down to rest,
At the foot of the mountain there sprung a clear fountain
Of pleasant cool water myself to refresh.

It tasted more sweeter than the food I had wasted,
More sweeter than honey and gave more content,
But the thoughts of my children lamenting for their father
Brought tears to my eyes and caused me to repent.

Now the night fast approaching, to the woods I departed,
With woodbine and ivy my bed for to make,
I heard a bird sighing, lamenting and crying,
Come home to your family and rambling forsake.

On the fifth of November I’ve a reason to remember
’Twas then I first returned to my family and wife,
They looked so surprising to see me arriving,
To see such a stranger once more in their sight.

Then me children came round me with their pretty, prattling stories,
With their pretty, prattling stories which drove dull care away,
So we will unite together like birds of a feather,
Like bees in one hive so contented we’ll stay.

So now I am placed in my cottage contented
With woodbine and roses climbing all round the door,
I am happy as those that’s got plenty of riches,
Contented I’ll stay and go rambling no more.

(Ursula Ridley and) Jim Porter sings Spencer the Rover

(This tale was composèd by young Spencer the Rover
Who wandered most parts of Great Britain and Wales
He had been so reducèd, which caused great confusion
And that was the reason he set off on the rails.

At Yorkshire, near Rotherham, he had been on his rambles
Being tired and hungry, he sat down to rest
At the foot of a mountain, where runs a clear fountain
With bread and with water, himself he refreshed.

And it tasted more sweeter than the honey he had wasted
It tasted more sweeter than the gold he had spent
It was the thought of his children lamenting their father
That caused him to weep and caused him to repent.)

The night fast-lye ’proaching, to the woods he resorted
With woodbind and ivy for the makin’ a bed
Oh, he dreamt about sighing, lye-ment-anly crying
“Go home to your parents, go ramblin’ no more.”

Now on the fifth of November I have reasons to remember,
When first I arrived to my family and wife.
My wife stood surprising just to see me arriving
For to see such a stranger once more in her eye.

Now the children come round me with their prit-prattling stories,
With their prit-prattling stories to drive care away.
We’re united together like the birds of a feather,
Like a bee in a hive and contented we’ll be.

Now I am placed in my cottage contented,
With the woodbind and the ivy all hang round my door,
I’m as happy as those who got plenty of riches
I’ll stay at home, I’ll go rambling no more.

Shirley Collins sings Spencer the Rover

These words were composed by Spencer the Rover
Who travelled Great Britain and most parts of Wales.
He had been so reduced which caused great confusion
And that was the reason he went on the roam.

In Yorkshire near Rotherham he had been on his rambles,
Being weary of travel, he sat down to rest.
At the foot of yonder mountain there runs a clear fountain;
With bread and cold water himself did refresh.

It tasted more sweeter than the gold he had wasted,
More sweeter than honey and gave more content.
But the thoughts of his babies lamenting their father
Brought tears to his eyes and made him repent.

Now the night fast approaching to the woods he resorted,
With ivy and woodbine his bed for to make.
Where he dreamt about sighing, lamenting and crying,
Go home to your family and rambling forsake.

On the fifth day of November I’ve a reason to remember,
When first he arrived home to his family and wife.
They stood so surprised when first he arrived
To see such a stranger once more in their sight.

His children came around him with their prittle-prattling stories,
With their prittle-prattling stories to drive care away.
And now they’re united like birds of one feather,
Like bees in one hive contented they’ll be.

So now he is a-living in his cottage so contented,
With ivy and roses growing all around the door.
He’s as happy as those that’s got thousands of riches;
Contented he’ll be and go rambling no more.

John Roberts and Tony Barrand sing Spencer the Rover

These words were composed by Spencer the Rover
Who traveled Great Britain and most parts of Wales
He had been so reduced, which caused great confusion
And that was the reason he went on the road.

In Yorkshire, near Rotherham, he had been on his rambles
Being weary of traveling, he sat down to rest
At the foot of yonder mountain there runs a clear fountain
With bread and cold water he himself did refresh.

It tasted more sweeter than the gold he had wasted
More sweeter than honey and gave more content
But the thoughts of his babies, lamenting their father
Brought tears to their eyes which made him lament.

The night fast approaching, to the woods he resorted
With woodbine and ivy his bed for to make
There he dreamt about sighing, lamenting and crying
Go home to your family and rambling forsake.

On the fifth of November, I’ve a reason to remember
When first he arrived home to his family and wife
They stood so surprised, when first he arrived
To behold such a stranger once more in their sight.

Then his children come around him with their prittle prattling stories
With their prittle prattling stories to drive care away
Now they work together, like ants in one labour
Like bees in one hive, contented they’ll be.

So now he is living in his cottage contented
With woodbine and roses growing all around his door
He’s as happy as those that have thousands of riches
Contented he’ll stay and go rambling no more.

Muckram Wakes sing Spencer the Rover

When Spencer the Rover, who’d wander’d all over,
And gone through most parts of Britain and Wales,
Near Rotherham in Yorkshire arrived on his rambles,
And, weary of travelling, had sat down to rest.

At the foot of yon mountain, where runs a clear fountain,
With bread and cold water he did him content;
He found it was sweeter than the gold he had wasted
And sweeter than honey, the pleasure it lent.

As night was approaching, to the woods he resorted;
With woodbine and ivy his bed he did make;
He dreamt about crying, lamenting, and sighing,
“Go home to thy family, and rambling forsake!”

“Last fifth of November, I’ve come to remember,
My children were round me, care driving away;
United together, like birds of one feather,
Like bees in one hive, we contented will stay!”

The Copper Family sing Spencer the Rover on Coppersongs 3

These words were composed by Spencer the Rover
Who had travelled Great Britain and most parts of Wales.
He had been so reduced which caused great confusion
And that was the reason he went on the roam.

In Yorkshire near Rotherham he had been on his rambles,
Being weary of travelling he sat down to rest.
At the foot of yonder mountain there runs a clear fountain;
With bread and cold water he himself did refresh.

It tasted more sweeter than the gold he had wasted,
More sweeter than honey and gave more content.
But the thoughts of his babies lamenting their father
Brought tears to his eyes and caused him to lament.

The night fast approaching to the woods he resorted,
With woodbine and ivy his bed for to make.
There he dreamt about sighing lamenting and crying,
To home to your family and rambling forsake.

On the fifth of November I’ve a reason to remember,
When first he arrived home to his family and wife.
They stood so surprised when first he arrived
To see such a stranger once more in their sight.

His children came around him with their prittle-prattling stories,
With their prittle-prattling stories to drive care away.
Now they are united like birds of one feather,
Like bees in one hive contented they’ll stay.

So now he is a-living in his cottage contented,
With woodbine and roses growing all around the door.
He’s as happy as those that’s got thousands of riches;
Contented he’ll stay and go rambling no more.

Jon Boden and Fay Hield sing Spencer the Rover

These words were composed by Spencer the Rover
Who travelled through England and most parts of Wales.
He had been so reduced which caused great confusion
And that was the reason he went on the road.

In Yorkshire near Rotherham he had been on his rambles,
Being weary of travelling, he sat down to rest.
At the foot of yonder mountain there runs a clear fountain;
With bread and cold water himself did refresh.

And it tasted more sweeter than the gold he had wasted,
More sweeter than honey and it gave more content.
But the thoughts of his babies lamenting their father
Brought tears to his eyes and made him lament.

But the night fast approaching to the woods he resorted,
With woodbine and ivy his bed for to make.
He dreamed about sighing, lamenting and crying,
Go home to your family and rambling forsake.

On the fifth day of November I’ve a reason to remember,
When first he arrived home to his family and wife.
They stood so surprised when first he arrived
To see such a stranger once more in their sight.

And his children they gathered round him with their prittle-prattling stories,
With their prittle-prattling stories to drive care away.
And now they’re united like birds of one feather,
Like bees in one hive contented they’ll stay.

And now he is living in his cottage contented,
With woodbine and roses growing all around the door.
He’s as happy as those that’s got thousands of riches;
Contented he’ll stay and go rambling no more.

Sam Lee sings Spencer the Rover

These words were composed by Spencer the Rover
Who had travelled most parts of Great Britain and Wales
He had been so reduced which caused great confusion
And that was the reason he went on the roam

In Yorkshire near Rotherham he had been on his rambles
Being weary of travelling he sat himself down
At the foot of yonder mountain there runs a clear fountain
With bread and cold water, he himself did refresh

It tasted more sweeter than the gold he had squandered
More sweeter than honey and gave more content
But the thoughts of his babies lamenting their father
Brought tears to his eyes and caused him to lament

The night fast approaching to the woods he resorted
With woodbine and ivy his bed for to make
There he dreamt about sighing lamenting and crying
Go home to your family and rambling forsake

On the fifth of November, I’ve a reason to remember
When first he arrived at his family’s front door
They stood so surprised when first he arrived
To behold such a stranger once more in their sight

His children came around him with their prittle-prattling stories
With their prittle-prattling stories to drive care away
Now they are united like birds of one feather
Like bees in one hive contented they’ll be
Contended they’ll be and go rambling no more