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Three Jolly Rogues of Lynn
In Good King Arthur’s Days / King Arthur’s Servants / Three Jolly Rogues of Lynn / Three Sons of Rogues
[
Roud 130
; Master title: In Good King Arthur’s Days
; G/D 3:704
; Ballad Index R112
; GoodOldColony at Old Songs
; Bodleian
Roud 130
; GlosTrad
Roud 130
; Wiltshire
1009
; trad.]
English County Songs Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs The Wanton Seed The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs One Hundred English Folksongs The Life of a Man
George ‘Pop’ Maynard sang Three Sons of Rogues at home in Copthorne, Sussex, 1956, where he was recorded by Peter Kennedy for the BBC. This recording was included in 1976 on his Topic album of traditional songs from Sussex, Ye Subjects of England, and in 1998 on the Topic anthology First I’m Going to Sing You a Ditty (The Voice of the People Series, Volume 7). Mike Yates or Ken Stubbs noted on the original recording:
Surprisingly The Birds in the Spring only appears to have been previously collected in Surrey, Sussex and Essex. The repetitive nature of the tune suggests an 18th century stage origin and, like some of Pop’s other songs, it is also in the repertoire of the Copper family of Rottingdean in Sussex. Similarly Three Sons of Rogues, often called King Arthur’s Sons, is probably a stage remake of The Freemen’s Song (Three Men’s Song) which appeared in Ravenscroft’s Deuteromelia of 1609.
Frank Purslow and John Pearse sang Three Rogues in 1961 on their Folklore Records EP Bottoms Up! English Soak Songs for Fools.
The Watersons sang King Arthur’s Servants
in 1965 on
New Voices.
Like all Watersons tracks from this anthology, it was reissued in 1994 on the CD
Early Days.
In 1997, it was included as the opening track of the 3 CD compilation
New Electric Muse II - The Continuing Story of Folk into Rock.
A.L. Lloyd noted on the original album:
Versions of this old nursery song are spread from Scotland to Sussex, and it has even cropped up as a ritual piece in one or two sword-dance plays. It’s hard to say how old it is, but it seems to have first appeared in print in Gammer Gurton’s Garland at the end of the eighteenth century, though doubtless it has been on the go long before then. This particular version of it comes from Northumberland, from Miss M. H. Mason’s Nursery Rhymes and Country Songs, and is apparently from family tradition. Miss Mason’s mother was of the Mitford (Lord Redesdale’s) family, of which the present generation of girls achieved fame (or notoriety) as ’Hons and Rebels’. Miss Mason’s version was reprinted in W. G. Whittaker’s North Countrie Ballads, Songs and Pipe Tunes and that’s where the Watersons got it from.
The Union Folk sang Three Jolly Rogues of Lynn, with Lynn being the seaport and market town King’s Lynn in Norfolk, in 1969 on their Traditional Sound album A Basketful of Oysters.
Cyril Tawney sang Three Scamping Rogues on his 1970 Argo album, Cyril Tawney Sings Children’s Songs From Devon and Cornwall.
The Druids sang The Farmer’s Three Sons on their 1971 Argo album Burnt Offering. They noted:
In its many versions this song has always been popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Other titles by which the song is known are: King Arthur’s Servants, The Three Rogues of Lynn, Good Old Colony Days etc.
Bob Johnson sang In Good King Arthur’s Days in 1972 on Roger Nicholson’s Trailer album Nonesuch for Dulcimer. They noted:
A proverb states “Nine tailors make a man” and this feeling seems to be reflected in many songs of which this one is known in several versions from England and America. The song finishes with the reel The Rakes of Mallow.
Phil Beer sang Good King Arthur’s Days in 1979 on his Greenwich Village album Mandoline.
Tim Hart and Maddy Prior sang Three Jolly Rogues of Lynn in 1983 on Tim Hart and Friends’ album Drunken Sailor and Other Kids Songs. This track was later reissued on the compilation CD Favourite Nursery Rhymes and Other Children’s Songs.
George Fradley sang King Arthur’s Sons to John Howson in Sudbury, Derbyshire, in April/June 1984. This recording was included on his Veteran 1980s cassette of songs from Derbyshire, One of the Best.
The Teacups sang Jolly Rogues on their 2013 Haystack CD One for the Pot.
Lyrics
‘Pop’ Maynard sings Three Sons of Rogues
There was three sons of rogues
Got turned out of doors
Because they could not sing.
’Twas because they could not sing,
Twas because they could not sing,
There was three sons of rogues
Got turned out of doors
Because they could not sing.
Oh, the first he was a miller,
And the second he was a weaver,
And the third he was a little tailor –
Three thundering rogues together.
Three thundering rogues together,
Three thundering rogues together,
Oh, the third he was a little tailor –
Three thundering rogues together.
Oh, the miller he stole corn
And the weaver he stole yarn
And the little tailor he stole broadcloth
For to keep the three rogues warm.
For to keep the three rogues warm,
For to keep the three rogues warm,
And the little tailor he stole broadcloth
For to keep the three rogues warm.
Now, the miller got chucked in his bin
And the weaver got hung in his yarn
And the Devil flew away with the little tailor
With his broadcloth under his arm.
With his broadcloth under his arm,
With his broadcloth under his arm,
Oh, the Devil flew away with the little tailor
With his broadcloth under his arm.
The Watersons sing King Arthur’s Servants
In good King Arthur’s days
He was a merry king
He threw three servants out of his house
Because they wouldn’t sing
Because they wouldn’t sing
Because they wouldn’t sing
He threw three servants out of his house
Because they wouldn’t sing
The first he was a miller
And the second he was a weaver
And the third he was a little tailor
Three thieving rogues together
Three thieving rogues together
Three thieving rogues together
And the third he was a little tailor
Three thieving rogues together
The miller he stole corn
And the weaver he stole yarn
And the little tailor he stole broadcloth
For to keep these three rogues warm
For to keep these three rogues warm
For to keep these three rogues warm
And the little tailor he stole broadcloth
For to keep these three rogues warm
The miller he drowned in his dam
And the weaver he hung on his yarn
And the devil put his foot on the little tailor
With the broadcloth under his arm
With the broadcloth under his arm
With the broadcloth under his arm
And the devil put his foot on the little tailor
With the broadcloth under his arm
Tim Hart & Maddy Prior sing Three Jolly Rogues of Lynn
In good King Arthur’s days
When we served under the king
Lived a miller and a weaver and a little tailor
Three jolly rogues of Lynn
Three jolly rogues of Lynn
Three jolly rogues of Lynn
Lived a miller and a weaver and a little tailor
Three jolly rogues of Lynn
Now the miller he stole corn
And the weaver he stole yarn
And the little tailor he stole broad-cloth
For to keep those three rogues warm
For to keep those three rogues warm
For to keep those three rogues warm
And the little tailor he stole broad-cloth
For to keep those three rogues warm
Now the miller was drowned in his dam
And the weaver was hanged in his yarn
And the devil put his claw on the little tailor
With a broad-cloth under his arm
With a broad-cloth under his arm
With a broad-cloth under his arm
And the devil put his claw on the little tailor
With a broad-cloth under his arm
Now the miller still drowns in his dam
And the weaver still hangs in his yarn
And the little tailor he skips through hell
With a broad-cloth under his arm
With a broadcloth under his arm
With a broadcloth under his arm
And the little tailor he skips through hell
With a broad-cloth under his arm
(repeat first verse)
Acknowledgements
Transcribed from the Watersons’ singing by Garry Gillard.