“My Father's Servant Boy”
Description
The girl's father plans to have her marry a gentleman. She chooses instead to flee with her sweetheart. They find a captain who will bring them to America, and are supported by an Irishman till the boy can find a job. Despite poverty, the girl is happy
Notes
The broadside Bodleian Harding B 11(2998), "Answer to the Philadelphia Lass," W. and T. Fordyce (Newcastle), c.1840 is on the same sheet as "Philadelphia Lass" ("It was on a summer's morning, all in the month of May"), another title for "Mary in Search of Her Lover"; that packaging makes it seem, to me, unlikely that our ballad was ever known elsewhere as "Answer to ...." On the other hand "Philadelphia Lass" may have been in tradition by that title
[see: Bodleian, Harding B 11(4257), "Mary in Search of her Lover," W. and T. Fordyce (Newcastle) , 1832-1842; also Firth c.13(233), "Mary in Search of her Lover"; Harding B 11(2997), Harding B 11(2998), "[The] Philadelphia Lass" ] - BS
Cross references
- cf. "You Lovers All" (plot, lyrics)
- cf. "Mullinabrone" (plot)
Broadsides
- Bodleian, Johnson Ballads 238, "The Servant Boy" ("You lovers all both great and small attend unto my theme"), J. Catnach (London) , 1813-1838; also Firth c.18(207), Harding B 11(2595), Harding B 11(3453), Harding B 25(1752), Harding B 11(1471), "The Servant Boy"; Harding B 11(2998), "Answer to the Philadelphia Lass"
Recordings
- Maggie Murphy, "My Father's Serving Boy" (on IRHardySons)
References
- Laws M11, "My Father's Servant Boy"
- SHenry H198, pp. 481-482, "My Father's Servant Boy" (1 text, 1 tune)
- MacSeegTrav 78, "My Father's Servant Boy" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Mackenzie 39, "My Father's Servant Boy" (1 text)
- DT 578, SERVNTBY
- Roud #1910
- BI, LM11