The Gypsy Laddie

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"The Gypsy Laddie" (Roud 1, Child 200), also known as "Black Jack Davy" and "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies" among many other titles, is a traditional folk ballad, possibly written about 1720. The ballad has since been used and recorded many different times in many different variations in England, Scotland, the United States, Canada, and Ireland.

Contents

[edit] History

Francis James Child's acclaimed compilation, the five volume The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898), provides an excellent history on this ballad. The Gypsy Laddie is ballad number 200 in the collection, and he describes that the printed versions of this ballad probably date back to at least 1720. The earliest known printing was in Tea Table Miscellany (1740). Lady Casslilles Lilt (aka Johnny Faa, the Gypsiey Laddie) is in the Skene Manuscripts which holds documents from the 17th century.[1]

Nick Tosches in his Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'N' Roll, spends part of his first chapter examining the song's history. He compares the song's narrative to the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The ballad, according to Tosches, retells the story of John Faw, a 17th century outlaw, described as a Gypsy, and Lady Jane Hamilton, wife of John VI, Earl of Cassillis. Sir John led a band of a disputed number of men (some sources cite 16, other 7) to abduct her. They were caught and hanged on the "Dool Tree" in 1643. The "Gypsies" were killed (except for one, who escaped) and Hamilton was imprisoned for the remainder of her life, dying in 1642.

Robert Burns used the song in his Reliques of Robert Burns; consisting chiefly of original letters, poems, and critical observations on Scottish songs (1808).

[edit] Description

The song tells of a Gypsy who tries, successfully, to charm the unmarried daughter of a squire. He promises her wealth and she goes off with him. When the squire comes home and discovers what has happened he rides off in search of her. After a long chase he finds her. The final encounter is where the daughter refuses to come home, saying "What care I for your fine feather sheets".

In other versions she is married, and her lord comes home to find his lady "gone with the gypsy laddie." He saddles his fastest horse to follow her. He finds her and bids her come home, asking "would you forsake your husband and child?"; she will not return, preferring the cold ground and the gypsy's company to her lord's wealth and fine bed.

In another version the gypsy has six brothers, and when the squire has caught up with them he has all seven of the raggle taggle Gypsies hung. In some versions the gypsy turns out to be genuinely wealthy. The song "Lizzie Lindsay" has a similar theme. Robert Burns adapted the song into "Sweet Tibby Dunbar", a shorter version of the story.

Although the hero of this song is often called "Johnny Faa" or even "Davy Faa," he should not be confused with the hero/villain of "Davy Faa (Remember the Barley Straw)." [Silber and Silber mis-identify all their texts] as deriving from "Child 120," which is actually "Robin Hood's Death." According to "The Faber Book of Ballads" this name was common among Gypsies in the 17th century.

[edit] Alternate titles

  • "Black Jack Davy"
  • "Black Jack Davey"
  • "Black Jack David"
  • "Blackjack David"
  • "Clayton Boone"
  • "The Gypsy Davy"
  • "The Gypsy Rover"
  • "Johnny Faa"
  • "Davy Faa"
  • "The Raggle Taggle Gipsies"
  • "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies"
  • "The Wraggle Taggle Gypsy"
  • "The Lady and the Gypsy"
  • "Harrison Brady"
  • "Gypson Davy"
  • "Gypsy Davey"
  • "Black-Eyed Davy"
  • "Black Eyed Daisy"
  • "Black-eyed Gypsy"
  • "The Heartless Lady"
  • "Egyptian Davio"
  • "It Was Late in the Night"
  • "When Johnny Came Home"
  • "The Gyps of Davy"
  • "The Dark-Clothed Gypsy"
  • "Seven Yeller Gypsies"

[edit] Relation to other folk traditions

The theme of the wandering gypsy or labourer is frequently found in folk music (e.g. an Irish language song called 'An Spailpín Fánach' has an Irish Traveller or a seasonal labourer).

[edit] Recordings

    • Cliff Carlisle, "Black Jack David" (Decca 5732, 1939)
    • Carter Family, "Black Jack David" (Conqueror 9574, 1940)
    • Woody Guthrie, "Gypsy Davy" (on A Treasury of Library of Congress Field Recordings, 1941)
    • O. J. Abbott, "The Gypsy Daisy"
    • John Jacob Niles, "The Gypsy Laddie" (on Sings American Folk Songs, ?1956)
    (on Irish and British Songs from the Ottawa Valley, 1961, recorded 1957)
    • Pete Seeger, "Gypsy Davy" (on Pete Seeger Sings American Ballads, 1957)
    • Harry Jackson, "Clayton Boone" (on The Cowboy: His Songs, Ballads & Brag Talk, 1957)
    • Burl Ives "Tibby Dunbar" (on In the Quiet of the Night, 1958)
    • Mary Jo Davis, "Black Jack Davy" (on Folk Music U.S.A., 1959)
    • Harry Cox, Jeannie Robertson, Paddy Doran [composite] "The Gypsy Laddie" (as "The Gypsie Laddie"),
    (on Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales: Classis Ballads of Britain and Ireland, vol 2, 2000, originally issued in shorter form in 1961)
    • Jean Ritchie, "Gypsy Laddie" (on British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, vol 1, 1961)
    • Margaret MacArthur, "Gypsy Davy" (on Folk songs of Vermont, 1963)
    • Maire Aine Ni Dhonnchadha, "The Gypsy-O"
    (on Traditional Music of Ireland, vol 2: Songs and Dances from Down, Kerry and Clare, 1963)
    • Lawrence Older, "Gypsy Davy" on Adirondack Songs, Ballads and Fiddle Tunes, 1963
    • New Lost City Ramblers, "Black Jack David"
    (on The New Lost City Ramblers, vol 4, 1962);
    (also "Black Jack Daisy" (on Remembrance of Things to Come, 1966)

The Raggle Taggle Gypsy

The Waterboys' recording of "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy", from the album Room to Roam.
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

[edit] Broadsides

  • Bodleian, Harding B 11(1446), "Gypsy Laddie," W. Stephenson (Gateshead), 1821-1838; also Harding B 11(2903), "Gypsy Loddy"; Harding B 19(45), "The Dark-Eyed Gipsy O"; Harding B 25(731), "Gipsy Loddy"; Firth b.25(220), "The Gipsy Laddy"; Harding B 11(1317), "The Gipsy Laddie, O"; Firth b.26(198), Harding B 15(116b), 2806 c.14(140), "The Gipsy Laddie"; Firth b.25(56), "Gypsie Laddie"
  • Murray, Mu23-y3:030, "The Gypsy Laddie," unknown, 19C
  • NLScotland, L.C.Fol.178.A.2(092), "The Gipsy Laddie," unknown, c. 1875
  • Tosches, Nick (1996). Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'N' Roll. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80713-0.

[edit] Cross references

  • cf. "The Roving Ploughboy" (theme, lyrics, tune)
  • Bob Dylan's 'Tombstone Blues' has:
And Gypsy Davey with a blowtorch he burns out their camps
With his faithful slave Pedro behind him he tramps
  • Also there is a joke:- How many folksingers does it take to change a light bulb?
There were seven yellow Gypsies all in a row
They were brave and bonny-O
One to change the bulb and one to tell the tale
And there's five to run away with the lady-O

Source: Lightbulb jokes

[edit] External links