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The Gipsy Girl / Little Gipsy Girl / The Gipsy’s Wedding Day

[ Roud 229 ; Master title: The Gipsy Girl ; Laws O4 ; Ballad Index LO04 ; GypsyGirl at Old Songs ; VWML PG/5/102 , GG/1/21/1350 ; Bodleian Roud 229 ; GlosTrad Roud 229 ; Wiltshire 807 ; trad.]

Twenty-One Lincolnshire Folk Songs The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs The Folk Handbook

Joseph Taylor sang The Gipsy’s Wedding Day in 1908, which was recorded on wax cylinders by Percy Grainger [VWML PG/5/102] and published in 1972 on the Leader LP Unto Brigg Fair and in 1998 on the Topic anthology of songs of courtship and marriage Come Let Us Buy the Licence. (The Voice of the People Volume 1). The original album’s sleeve notes say:

This song was in the repertoires of many of the Lincolnshire singers that Grainger obtained songs from. Despite the strictures and suspicions of many of the early collectors connected with the Folk Song Society, the tune (or versions of it) has done great service with many associated texts; among them might be mentioned The Banks of Sweet Dundee, On Board the “Kangaroo” and The Handsome Cabin Boy. Mr O’Shaughnessy notes its resemblance to The Bluebell’s of Scotland. See also FSJ No. 5. Sound recordings: BBC 18691, Col 15519, FA 2362.

Charlie Poole from North Carolina sang My Gypsy Girl in a 23 January 1930 recording that was included in 2015 on the anthology of British songs in the USA, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.

Shirley Collins sang this song with somewhat different verses as The Little Gypsy Girl. She recorded this in 1971 for her album with the Albion Country Band, No Roses and it was reissued on her anthology A Favourite Garland. Her album’s sleeve notes cite Louise Holmes of Hereford as source and comment:

Recorded in the field in the 1950’s by Peter Kennedy for the BBC Archives. Peter, along with Alan Lomax, Bob Copper, Hamish Henderson and Sean O’Boyle, was responsible for collecting traditional music from all over the British Isles. All the recordings are lodged in the archives at the BBC. I’ve done a few radio programmes from them, and a lot of the discs are warped. I hope someone’s taking care of them—it’s a unique collection and deserves to be treated with a lot more care and respect.

She also sang it live with the Etchingham Steam Band in June 1975 at the 4. Folk-Festival auf der Lenzburg, reissued on Within Sound, and in July 1975 at Lewes Folk Day; the latter recording is available on the CD The Etchingham Steam Band.

The Broadside sang The Gipsy’s Wedding Day in 1971 as the title track of their album of Lincolnshire folk songs, The Gipsy’s Wedding Day. They noted:

Another Joseph Taylor item, and one of the most attractive in The Broadside’s repertoire. Grainger reported that the song was “very generally sung in Lincolnshire”. The tune is a variant of the air to The Blue Bells of Scotland.

Bob Davenport and the Marsden Rattlers sang Gipsy Girl in 1971 on their eponymous album on the Trailer label, Bob Davenport and the Marsden Rattlers.

George Dunn sang The Squire’s Bride on 14 July 1971 to Roy Palmer. This recording was included in 2002 on his Musical Traditions anthology Chainmaker. Rod Stradling noted:

A version of the song more often called My Father’s the King of the Gypsies—from its first verse, which George omits here—or The Gypsy Girl / The Gypsy’s Wedding Day. It was widely printed on broadsides, but has only been found in the oral tradition in central England and the USA.

Jasper Smith sang The Squire and the Gypsy to Mike Yates in Biggin Hill, Kent in October 1973. This recording was included in 1975 on the Topic album of gypsies, travellers and country singers, Songs of the Open Road, and in 1998 on the Topic anthology My Father’s the King of the Gypsies (The Voice of the People Volume 11).

Jake Walton sang The Gypsy’s Wedding in 1976 on his, Roger Nicholson’s and Andrew Cronshaw’s Trailer album Times and Traditions for Dulcimer.

The Old Swan Band sang My Father’s the King of the Gypsies on their 1979 Free Reed album Old Swan Brand. They noted:

This version comes to us from Lynn Sheridan who learnt it many years ago from a record in Cecil Sharp House of Mrs. Louisa Holmes.

John Roberts & Tony Barrand recorded The Gipsy’s Wedding Day in 1998 on their album of English folksongs collected by Percy Grainger, Heartoutbursts. They noted:

I first heard this years ago in an American version, with refrain, sung by Dallas Cline. I was surprised to find later that her song was so closely related to this set from Joseph Taylor. The song was in the repertoire of several of Grainger’s source singers, and was known as a broadside. When Grainger published it in the Journal, Lucy Broadwood commented: “I doubt it’s being ‘country-made’, or of any great age.” Anne Gilchrist added, comparing it to The Nutting Girl, “Neither of them have the appearance of genuine folk-airs.” What is a folksong? The debate still continues.

Eliza Carthy sang and played on fiddle Little Gypsy Girl in 2002 on her Topic CD Anglicana. She was accompanied by Norma Waterson and Maria Gilhooley, vocals, Will Duke, concertina, and Dan Quinn, melodeon. This track was also included in 2004 on the Mrs Casey anthology Evolving Tradition 4. Eliza Carthy noted:

Joseph Taylor again. This sounds to me a bit like little orphan Annie singing about how swell her life is going to be. I imagine her and all her mates sitting around the fire having a good laugh at the end of it.

Jane and Amanda Threlfall sang The Gypsy’s Wedding on their 2002 CD Gown of Green and on their 2007 CD Revisited. They noted:

Sung by Joseph Taylor, of Brigg in Lincolnshire, this popular song of the day was recorded onto wax cylinder by Percy Grainger on 28 July 1908 [VWML PG/5/102] . It was recorded for release as a 78, to be one of the first folk records on Grainger’s ‘Gramophone’ label, but it never made it. Several other Joseph Taylor songs were released, though, in 1908/9. The tune is similar to that of The Pretty Ploughboy and also Bluebells of Scotland. The words appear in The Roxburgh Ballads, which were published at the end of the 19^th century.

Tom and Barbara Brown sang The Little Gypsy Girl in 2005 on their WildGoose CD Tide of Change.

Every now and then a bit of fantasy does you good. So here’s The Little Gypsy Girl away with the fairies for as long as her musing lasts and until another reality comes crashing in. The origin of this version lies in a recording of Louise Holmes, of Dinedor, Herefordshire, made by Peter Kennedy in the 1950s, but Barbara has been singing it for so long it’s probably revised itself.

Robin and Bina Williamson sang The Little Gypsy Girl in 2007 on Old Wine New Skins, a CD of modern recordings of traditional English songs to accompany The Folk Handbook.

Mary Humphreys sang Gypsy’s Wedding (The Gypsy Girl) in 2009 on English Rebellion’s WildGoose CD Four Across. Nick Barber noted:

Mary Humphreys heard this sung by Joseph Taylor of Saxby-All-Saints, Lincolnshire, on a very scratchy old wax cylinder recording made by Percy Grainger on 28 July 1906 at Brigg. Joseph Taylor is her favourite singer from the past. By extending it to make a refrain it becomes a good song to involve an audience and we have thrown every instrument that the band plays into the recording at some point! Mary Barber contributes to the chorus line too.

The Dollymops from the Isle of Wight sang The Gypsy Girl in 2013 on their WildGoose CD Wight Cockade. They noted:

Collected by George Gardiner from Jacob ‘John’ Brading in 1909 [VWML GG/1/21/1350] . Brading was an Islander who grew up in the village of Arreton and ended his days in Alverstoke Workhouse (Gosport) where Gardiner discovered him. He also had The Spotted Cow and Seventeen Come Sunday in his repertoire. His versions closely mirror those published by W.H. Long in his 1886 Dictionary of Isle of Wight Dialect. Could Brading perhaps have been one of Long’s anonymous singing sources?

Rattle on the Stovepipe sang The Gypsy Girl in 2014 on their WildGoose CD Old Virginia. They noted:

A song once popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Dave [Arthur] can’t remember from whom he learnt the words, not from Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, even though the lyrics are almost identical. Nor from the Carter Family who also recorded a very similar set of words. The provenance of the tune, however, he does remember. Like many young folk guitarists two of his first finger-picking tunes were Davy Graham’s Anji, and Sam McGee’s Buckdancer’s Choice learnt from a private recording of Tom Paley. A couple of years ago he started playing the tune at half-speed, with more swing and less finger-busting rush. Not wishing to waste this new-found, more laid-back Buckdancer’s Choice, he started singing The Gypsy Girl to the tune and found it fitted like a glove. Surprisingly, this light-hearted tale of the young Gypsy girl who makes her own luck was one of the band’s ‘hit numbers’ on our tour of Japan. Japanese audiences completely got the humour implicit in the tale.

David Stacey sang The King of the Gypsies on his 2015 Musical Traditions anthology Good Luck to the Journeyman. Rod Stradling noted:

A version of the song, for which David can’t remember his particular source, usually called My Father’s the King of the Gypsies—from its first verse—or The Gypsy Girl or The Gypsy’s Wedding Day. It was widely printed on broadsides, but has only been found in the oral tradition in central England and the USA. A surprisingly well-known song—109 Roud entries—given that it has only four remaining CD recordings available: George Dunn, Joseph Taylor, Jasper Smith [all see above] and Percy Webb (Neil Lanham CD NLCD3).

Vic Shepherd and John Bowden sang The Gipsy’s Wedding Day in 2022 on their Hallamshire Traditions album Revel in the Stories. They noted:

This little piece of wish fulfilment comes from the singing of Joseph Taylor of Saxby-All Saints, Lincolnshire, who was recorded on wax cylinders—one of the earliest examples of a field recording rather than notation, which other collectors had to rely on—in 1906 and 1908 by Percy Grainger. The recordings of Mr Taylor and other Lincolnshire singers was released on the Leader LP Unto Brigg Fair in 1972; according to the LP’s sleeve notes “This song was in the repertoires of many of the Lincolnshire singers that Grainger obtained songs from”. It was also popular with singers on the other side of the Atlantic, and was collected from, among others, Horton Barker—another of our favourite American singers—and Charlie Poole.

Lyrics

Joseph Taylor sings The Gipsy’s Wedding Day

My father is the king of the gypsies that is true
My mother she learn-ed me some camping for to do
They put the pack upon me back they all did wish me well,
So I set out for London town, some fortunes for to tell.

Now as I was a-walking up fair London street,
A handsome young squi-re I chanc-ed for to meet;
He view-ed my brown cheeks and lik-ed them so well,
He said, “Me little gypsy girl, can you me fortune tell?”

“Why yes, kind sir, give me hold of your hand,
Why you have got houses, you’ve riches and you’ve land,
But all those pretty ladies, you mun put them to one side.
For I’m the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride.”

Now once I was a gypsy girl but now a squi-re’s bride.
I’ve got servants for to wait on me and in me carriage ride,
The bells they rung so merrily and the sweet music did play,
And a jolly time we had upon the gypsy’s wedding day.

Shirley Collins sings The Little Gypsy Girl

My father’s the king of the gypsies, it is true,
Me mother, she learned me some camping for to do.
They put the pack all on my back, and they did wish me well,
Then I went up to London, some fortunes for to tell.
Some fortunes for to tell, some fortunes for to tell,
And I went up to London, some fortunes for to tell.

As I was a-walking down a fair London street,
A handsome young squire I chanced for to meet,
He viewed my brown cheeks and he liked them so well,
Says he, “My little gypsy girl, can you me fortune tell?
Can you me fortune tell, can you me fortune tell,”
Says he, “My little gypsy girl, can you me fortune tell?”

“Oh sir,“ I replied, “Give me fast hold of your hand.
I see you have riches, and houses, and land,
And all your lovely ladies, you must lay them all aside,
I am the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride,
That is to be your bride, that is to be your bride,
I am the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride.”

He led me through woods and through valleys green, I’m sure,
Where he had got servants to open up the door
On the softest bed of down then served me so well
That in nine months after his fortune I did tell.
His fortune I did tell, his fortune I did tell,
That in nine months after his fortune I did tell.

John Roberts & Tony Barrand sing The Gipsy’s Wedding Day

My father is the king of the gypsies, that is true,
My mother, she learned me some camping for to do,
They put a pack upon my back, they all did wish me well,
So I set off for London, some fortunes for to tell.

As I was a-walking a fair London street,
A handsome young squire I chanced for to meet,
He viewed my brown cheeks, and he liked them so well,
He said, “My little gypsy girl, can you my fortune tell?”

“Oh yes,” I returned, “Give me hold of your hand,
For you have got riches, and you’ve houses, and you’ve land,
But all those pretty maidens, you must put them to one side,
For I’m the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride.”

Now once I was a gypsy girl, but now a squire’s bride,
I’ve servants to wait on me, and in my carriage ride,
The bells they shall ring merrily, and sweet music play,
And crown the glad tidings of the gypsy’s wedding day.

Eliza Carthy sings Little Gypsy Girl

My father is the king of the gypsies, it is true,
My mother, she learned me some camping for to do.
They put the pack all on my back, they all did wish me well,
So I set off to London town, some fortunes for to tell.

Now one night I came to some fair London street,
A handsome young squire I chanced for to meet,
He viewed my brown cheeks and he liked them so well,
He says, “My little gypsy girl, can you my fortune tell?”

“Why yes, kind sir, give me hold of your hand.
Why, you have got houses, you’ve riches and you’ve land.
Now all those pretty ladies, you must put them to one side,
For I’m the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride.”

Now once I was a gypsy girl but now a squire’s bride,
I’ve servants for to wait on me and in the carriage ride.
The bells they rang so merrily, the sweet music did play,
And a jolly time we had upon the gypsy’s wedding day.

David Stacey sings The King of the Gypsies

Now me father is the king of the Gypsies that is true
Now me mother she taught me some camping for to do.
So I took me pack all on me back, and they all wished me well
And I went up to London Town some fortunes for to tell.

Now as I went a-walking down fair London streets
Why a handsome young squire he chancèd for to meet
Her viewed my pretty nut-brown cheeks, and these he liked full well
Said he “My pretty Gypsy girl, can you my fortune tell?”

“Oh yes, kind sir, give me a hold of your hand.
Why you have gotten houses, you’ve got riches and you’ve land
But all those pretty fair maids you must put to one side
For I’m the pretty Gypsy maid who is to be your bride.”

Now once I was a Gypsy girl but now a squire’s bride,
I’ve servants for to wait on me, and in a carriage ride.
Now the bells they played so merrily, and the band so loud did play
Oh and such a jolly time we had on the Gypsy’s wedding day.