Gathering Mushrooms

[ Roud 7001 ; Ballad Index RcTGMus ; trad.]

A.L. Lloyd sang Mushrooms live at the Top Lock Folk Club, Runcorn, on 5 November 1972. This concert was published in 2010 on the Fellside CD An Evening With A.L. Lloyd. Paul Adams noted:

It is not clear who the ‘Bob’ is who gave Bert this song. It is also known as Ketchup-O and a version—as Gathering Mushrooms—was collected in August 1955 by Sean O’Boyle from Robert Cinnamond, Ballinderry, Co. Antrim. Could we speculate that this is the ‘Bob’ Bert mentions as his source?

Grace Notes sang Gathering Mushrooms in 1993 on their CD Down Falls the Day. They named Kevin Gonneff as their source.

Lyrics

A.L. Lloyd sings Mushrooms

Rising early out of bed across the fields I steered O
When, oh and I, a girl passed by, and a pretty fair maid she appeared O.
Her head was bare, I do declare, she had neither a hat nor feather O
And she stooped so low, it gave me to know it was mushrooms she did gather O,
O gather O,
She stooped so low, it gave me to know it was mushrooms she did gather O

I said, “My dear, what do you here? Why are you up so early O?
I’ve seen you down on the dewy ground before the sun shone clearly O.”
Right modestly she answered me and she gave her head a fetch up
“I’m gathering mushrooms,” she said, “for to make my mammy ketchup O,
O ketchup O,
I’m gathering mushrooms,” she said, “for to make my mammy ketchup O.”

Then her panting breast on mine she pressed, her heart beat like a feather O,
And her lips on mine did gently join and we both sat down together O.
She says, “My garter it just broke, pray won’t you tie it for me?”
And she drew her skirt above her knee and such a tieing of a garter you never did see,
Aye, you never did see,
She drew her skirt above her knee and such a tieing of a garter you never did see.