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Brian O’Lynn

[ Roud 294 ; Master title: Brian O’Lynn ; Henry H480a ; TYG 27 ; Ballad Index R471 ; Bodleian Roud 294 ; GlosTrad Roud 294 ; Wiltshire 80 ; trad.]

Sabine Baring-Gould: Songs of the West Gale Hiuntington: Sam Henry’s Songs of the People James Reeves: The Everlasting Circle Steve Roud, Julia Bishop: The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs

Eliza Pace of Hyden, Leslie County, Kentucky, sang Tom Boleyn in a 1937 recording that was included in 2017 on the Musical Traditions anthology of historic recordings of Appalachian singer and musicians, When Cecil Left the Mountains. Mike Yates noted:

There are suggestions that this song may date from the mid-16th century and that it comes from a song sung by the fool in William Wager’s play, The Longer Thou Livest, the More Fool Thou Art, which can be dated to about 1560-70. Some writers have suggested that it may also be found in The Complaynt of Scotland, dated 1548, though this reference may actually refer to another ballad or fiddle tune. The earliest definite sighting is in Ritson’s The North Country Chorister of 1802. Irish versions usually go under the title of Brian O’Lynn, which could suggest an Irish origin, although a broadside printed c.1850-1870 by Moore of Ann Street, Belfast, and titled Bryan O’Lynn, has the opening line “Bryan O’Lynn was a Scotsman born”, so perhaps it is a Scottish song after all. An American text, printed by Richard Marsh of New York in 1854 (Marsh’s Selection. or Singing for the Million volume 2) has a text which is very similar to that used by Eliza Pace.

Jack Fuller sang Briny O’Then to Peter Kennedy at Laughton, near Lewes, Sussex, on 11 November 1952. This recording was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology I’m a Romany Rai (The Voice of the People Volume 22).

Tony Wales sang Bryan O’Lynn in 1957 on his Folkways album Sussex Folk Songs and Ballads. Kenneth S. Goldstein noted:

This favorite nursery song traces Back to at least the l6^th century. It is probably Scottish in origin, though usually identified as Irish, and is widely known in numerous variants throughout the English-speaking world. Modern versions have a tendency to become increasingly bawdy und ribald. The version sung here, as learned from Mr. Wales’ mother, contains but a few of the innumerable stanzas to it which have thus far been collected.

Séamus Ennis sang Brian O’Linn in a recording made by Peter Kennedy at Cecil Sharp House on the 1960 HMV album A Jug of Punch: Broadside Ballads Old and New.

Thomas Moran of Mohill, County Leitrim, sang Brian O’Lynn in December 1954 to Séamus Ennis. This BBC recording 22025 was also included on the anthology Songs of Animals and Other Marvels (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 10; Caedmon 1961, Topic 1970) and in 1995 on the Saydisc anthology Traditional Songs of Ireland

Jim Porter sang Brianey O’Lynn in 1965 at The Three Cups, Punnetts Town. This recording by Brian Matthews was included in 2001 on the Musical Traditions anthology of songs from Sussex country pubs, Just Another Saturday Night.

Madeleine (Sandra Kerr) sang Brian O’Lynn in the eleventh episode of the animated children’s television series Bagpuss, The Fiddle, first broadcast on 23 April 1974. A different version with Madeleine and Gabriel (John Faulkner) singing alternate verses was included in 1998 on the Smallfolk CD Bagpuss: The Songs & Music.

Jim Eldon sang Brian O’Lynn on his 1983 album I Wish There Was No Prisons.

Lyrics

Eliza Pace sings Tom Boleyn

Tom Boleyn was a Scotsman born,
His shoes worn out and his stocking was torn.
The calf of his leg hung down to his shin,
“I’m a hell of a fella,” says Tom Boleyn.

Tom Boleyn had no boots to wear,
He bought him a goat’s skin to make him a pair.
The woolly side out and the fleecy side in,
“’Cool in the summer,” says Tom Boleyn.

Tom Boleyn bought him an old grey mare,
Her sides was worn, her feet was bare.
Away he went through thick and thin,
“’I’m going a-courting,” says Tom Boleyn.

He rode over to the Dutchman’s hall,
There he got down amongst them all.
“Come in, come in, I bid you come in.”
“I’ve come here courting,” says Tom Boleyn

“Come in. come in, you welcome guest,
Take which of my daughter’s that you like best.”
“I’ll take one for love and the other for kin,
I’ll marry them both,” says Tom Boleyn.

“After the wedding we must have a dinner.”
They had nothing to eat that was fit for a sinner,
Neither fish, flesh, nor no a such thing,
“It’s a hell of a dinner,” says Tom Boleyn.

“And after the dinner we must have a bed.”
The floor it was swept and the straw it was spread.
The blankets were short and the sides were thin,
“Stick close to my back,” says Tom Boleyn.

When Cecil Sharp noted the song from Mrs Pace she gave him the following three verses which follow on from the above:

Tom Boleyn’s wife and his wife’s mother
All went over the bridge together.
The bridge broke down, they all fell in,
“Get out, if you can,” says Tom Boleyn.

Tom Boleyn crawled in an old hollow tree,
Very well content he seemed to be.
The wind blew hard and the rain beat in,
“It’s hell of a lodgings,” says Tom Boleyn.

Tom Boleyn’s wife being of a low squat
And out of the water she quickly got.
And away she went through thick and thin,
Enquiring for delicate Tom Boleyn.

Tony Wales sings Bryan O’Lynn

Bryan O’Lynn was a gentleman born,
He lived at a time when no clothes they were worn;
As fashions walked out, of course, Bryan walked in,
“I’ll soon lead the fashions,” says Bryan O’Lynn.

Bryan O’Lynn had no breeches to wear.
So he brought him a sheepskin to make him a pair;
With the wooly side out and the skinny side in,
“A fine pair of breeches,” says Bryan O’Lynn.

Bryan O’Lynn had no shirt to his back.
So he went to his neighbors to borrow a sack;
He puckered the meal bag up under his chin,
“O, they’ll take it for ruffles,” says Bryan O’Lynn.

Bryan O’Lynn was hard up for a coat,
So he borrowed a skin from a neighboring goat;
With the horns sticking out from the shoulders within,
“They’ll take them for pistols,” says Bryan O’Lynn.

Bryan O’Lynn, his wife and wife’s mother,
They all got into the bed together;
The sheets they were old and the blankets were thin,
“So we’ll lay close together,” says Bryan O’Lynn.

Bryan O’Lynn, his wife and wife’s mother,
Were an coming over the bridge together;
But the bridge it broke down and let them all in,
“O, we’ll go home by the water,” says Bryan O’Lynn.

Bryan O’Lynn, he went courting one night,
And he set both his wife and wife’s mother to fight;
To fight for his hand, they both stripped to the skin,
“O, I’ll marry you both,” says Bryan O’Lynn.

Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner sing Brian O’Lynn

Now Brian O’Lynn had no breeches to wear.
So he borrowed a sheepskin to make him a pair,
With the fleshy side out and the woolly side in,
“They’ll be pleasant and cool,” says Brian O’Lynn.

Now Brian O’Lynn had no shirt to his back,
So he went to a neighbour to borrowed a sack.
He puckered the meal bag up under his chin
“They’ll take them for ruffles,” says Brian O’Lynn.

Now Brian O’Lynn was hard up for a coat.
So he borrowed a skin of a neighbouring goat
With the horns sticking out of the pockets, and then
“They’ll take them for pistols,” says Brian O’Lynn.

Brian O’Lynn had no stockings to wear,
He bought him a rat’s skin to make him a pair,
He then drew them on and they fitted his shin,
“Whoo, they’re illegant wear,” says Brian O’Lynn.

Now Brian O’Lynn had no shoes to his toes,
So he hopped in two crab shells to serve him for those,
Then he scraped out two oysters that matched like a twin,
“They’ll shine out like buckles,” says Brian O’Lynn.

Now Brian O’Lynn had no watch to put on,
So he scooped out a turnip to make himself one.
He placed a young cricket all under the skin
“They’ll think it’s a-ticking,” says Brian O’Lynn.

Now Brian O’Lynn to his house had no door,
He’d the sky for a roof and the bog for a floor,
He’d a way to jump out and a way to swim in,
“It’s a fine habitation,” says Brian O’Lynn.