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Vandy Vandy

[ Roud - ; Manly Wade Wellman (1903-1986)]

Manly Made Wellman wrote a series of “Silver John” books in the 1960s with short fantasies set in Appalachia about a roving musician whose guitar is strung with magic; he encounters Evil in many guises and tries to fight back. Wellman includes both traditional Appalachian songs and wrote a few traditional sounding ones for these stories. Bob Coltman, a fine American folk musician, set one of these, Vandy, Vandy to music and recorded it for a 1964 single on the Fonotone label. It is also on Coltman’s 1973 Minstel album, Lonesome Robin.

Kate Burke and Ruth Hazleton sang Vandy Vandy on their 2007 album Summer’s Lonesome Tale.

Rachel Newton sang Vandy Vandy in 2010 on The Shee’s album Decadence. This video shows them at National Forest Folk Festival in 2014:

Lucy Farrell sang Vandy Vandy in 2015 on Gluepot’s album Lulu the Bear and Other Stories, and in 2020 on her and Andrew Waite’s CD Calm the Lions.

Lyrics

Rachel Newton sings Vandy Vandy

Vandy, Vandy, I’ve come to court you,
Be you rich or be you poor.
If you’ll give me your attention
I will love you forever more.

Chorus:
For I love you and I can’t help it, oh yes I do

Vandy, Vandy, here’s gold and silver,
Vandy, Vandy, here’s a house and land,
Vandy, Vandy, here’s a world of treasure.
And it’ll be yours at your command.

(Chorus)

What do I care for your gold and silver?
What do I care for your house and land?
What do I care for your world of treasure?
All I want is a handsome man.

I love a man he’s in the army,
He’s been gone seven long years.
He’ll be gone seven years longer
And I won’t court no other dear.

Wake up, wake up, the dawn is breaking,
Wake up, wake up, it’s almost day.
Open your doors and your windows,
See your true love march away.

(Repeat first verse)

(Chorus)

Lucy Farrell sings Vandy Vandy

Vandy, Vandy, I’ve come to court you,
Be you rich or be you poor.
And if you’ll entertain me
I will love you forever more.

Chorus (after each verse):
I love him and I can’t help it, oh yes I do

I’ve got a true love in the army,
He’s been gone for seven long years.
And if he be seven years longer
I won’t have no other dear.

Vandy, Vandy, I’ve gold and silver,
Vandy, Vandy, I’ve house and land.
Vandy, Vandy, I’ve a world of pleasure,
All is yours at your command.

What care I for gold and silver?
What care I for house and land?
What care I for your world of pleasure?
All I want’s my soldier man.

Awake, awake, the night is over,
Awake, awake, it’s almost day.
Open your doors and your divers windows,
See my true love march away.