“The Gypsy Laddie”

Description

A 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; she will not return, preferring the cold ground and the gypsy's company to her lord's wealth and fine bed

Notes

Hall, notes to Voice17, re "The Gypsy Laddies": "Francis James Child locates the history behind the ballad to the expulsion of the Gypsies from Scotland by Act of Parliament in 1609, and the abduction by Gypsies of Lady Cassilis (who died in 1642), her subsequent return to her home and the hanging of the Gypsies involved. [ref. Child, IV, pp. 63-5.]"

Jeannie Robertson's version on Voice17 follows Child 200C,G in that the Gypsies are hanged in the last verse. - BS

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)." - RBW

[Silber and Silber mis-identify all their texts] as deriving from "Child 120," which is actually "Robin Hood's Death." - PJS

Also sung by David Hammond, "The Dark-Eyed Gypsy" (on David Hammond, "I Am the Wee Falorie Man: Folk Songs of Ireland," Tradition TCD1052 CD (1997) reissue of Tradition LP TLP 1028 (1959)) Sean O Boyle, notes to David Hammond, "I Am the Wee Falorie Man: Folk Songs of Ireland": "The tune has been known in the O Boyle family for four generations and has never been published." - BS

Cross references

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

Recordings

  • O. J. Abbott, "The Gypsy Daisy" (on Abbott1)
  • Cliff Carlisle, "Black Jack David" (Decca 5732, 1939)
  • Carter Family, "Black Jack David" (Conqueror 9574, 1940)
  • Dillard Chandler, "Black Jack Daisy" (on Chandler01)
  • Robert Cinnamond, "Raggle Taggle Gypsies-O" (on IRRCinnamond02)
  • Harry Cox, Jeannie Robertson, Paddy Doran [composite] "The Gypsy Laddie" (on FSB5 [as "The Gypsie Laddie"], FSBBAL2) {cf. Bronson's #42, #45.1}
  • Mary Jo Davis, "Black Jack Davy" (on FMUSA)
  • Woody Guthrie, "Gypsy Davy" (AFS, 1941; on LCTreas)
  • Harry Jackson, "Clayton Boone" (on HJackson1)
  • Margaret MacArthur, "Gypsy Davy" (on MMacArthur01)
  • New Lost City Ramblers, "Black Jack David" (on NLCR04); "Black Jack Daisy" (on NLCR14, NLCRCD2)
  • Maire Aine Ni Dhonnchadha, "The Gypsy-O" (on TradIre01)
  • Lawrence Older, "Gypsy Davy" (on LOlder01)
  • Walter Pardon, "Raggle-Taggle Gypsies" (on Voice06)
  • Jean Ritchie, "Gypsy Laddie" (on JRitchie01) {Bronson's #38}
  • Jeannie Robertson, "The Gypsy Laddies" (on Voice17)
  • Pete Seeger, "Gypsy Davy" (on PeteSeeger16)
  • Warren Smith, "Black Jack David" (Sun 250, mid-1950s)

References

  1. Child 200, "The Gypsy Laddie" (12 texts)
  2. Bronson 200, "The Gypsy Laddie" (128 versions+2 in addenda)
  3. BarryEckstormSmyth pp. 269-277, "Gipsy Davy" (4 texts plus 2 fragments and a quoted broadside, 2 tunes) {Bronson's #109, #110}
  4. Flanders-Ancient3, pp. 193-229, "The Gypsy Laddie" (19 texts plus 6 fragments, 8 tunes) {N=Bronson's #107}
  5. Linscott, pp. 207-209, "Gypsy Daisy" (1 text, 1 tune)
  6. Belden, pp. 73-76, "he Gypsy Laddie" (3 texts plus portions of another)
  7. Randolph 27, "The Gypsy Davy" (6 texts plus 2 fragments, 4 tunes) {Randolph's A=Bronson's #100, E=#103, G=#123, H=#40}
  8. Randolph/Cohen, pp. 49-51, "The Gypsy Davy" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 27G) {Bronson's #123}
  9. Eddy 21, "The Gypsy Laddie" (1 text plus a fragment, 2 tunes) {Bronson's #77, #98}
  10. Davis-Ballads 37, "The Gypsy Laddie" (7 texts plus a fragment, 3 tunes) {Bronson's #6, #91, #33}
  11. Davis-More 33, pp. 253-261, "The Gypsy Laddie" (5 texts, 2 tunes)
  12. BrownII 37, "The Gypsy Laddie" (6 texts plus an excerpt, many of them mixed with "Sixteen Come Sunday"; "D" also partakes of "Devilish Mary")
  13. Chappell-FSRA 16, "Gypsy Davy" (1 fragment)
  14. Hudson 20, pp. 117-119, "The Gypsy Laddie" (2 texts)
  15. Cambiaire, pp. 59-60, "The Gypsy Laddie (Gypsy Davy)" (1 text)
  16. Shellans, pp. 36-37, "The Radical Gypsy David" (1 text, 1 tune)
  17. Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 215-225, "The Gypsy Laddie" (7 texts, with local titles "The Three Gypsies," "Black Jack Davy," "Gypsia Song," Oh Come and Go Back My Pretty Fair Miss," "Gypsy Davy," "The Lady's Disgrace," "Gypsy Davy"; 5 tunes on pp. 411-414) {Bronson's #75, #126, #106, #32, #9]
  18. Brewster 19, "The Gypsy Laddie" (1 text)
  19. Creighton/Senior, pp. 71-72, "The Gypsy Laddie" (1 fragment, 1 tune) {Bronson's #10}
  20. Creighton-SNewBrunswick 4, "Gypsie Laddie" (1 text, 1 tune)
  21. Greenleaf/Mansfield 16, "The Dark-Clothed Gypsy" (2 texts, 1 tune) {Bronson's #50}
  22. Peacock, pp. 194-197, "Gypsy Laddie-O" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
  23. Karpeles-Newfoundland 17, "The Gypsy Laddie" (3 texts, 4 tunes)
  24. Flanders/Brown, pp. 220-221, "Gypsy Daisy," "Seven Gypsies in a Row" (1 text plus a fragment)
  25. Leach, pp. 539-543, "The Gypsy Laddie" (4 texts)
  26. Friedman, p. 105, "The Gypsy Laddie (Johnny Faa)" (2 texts)
  27. OBB 148, "The Gypsy Countess" (1 text)
  28. Warner 42, "Gypsy Davy" (1 text, 1 tune)
  29. PBB 18, "The Gypsy Laddie" (1 text)
  30. Tunney-StoneFiddle, p. 110, "The Seven Yellow Gipsies" (1 text, 1 tune)
  31. Sharp-100E 5, "The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies, O!" (1 text, 1 tune)
  32. Niles 52, "The Gypsy Laddie" (1 text, 1 tune)
  33. Ritchie-Southern, p. 80, "The Gypsy Laddie" (1 text, 1 tune) {cf. Bronson's #38, a separate, somewhat different transcription}
  34. SharpAp 33, "The Gypsy Laddie" (5 texts plus 5 fragments, 10 tunes) {Bronson's #35, #21, #17, #26, #20, #97, #33, #104, #36, #34}
  35. Sharp/Karpeles-80E 22, "Gypsy Davy (The Gypsy Laddie" (1 text, 1 tune -- a composite version) {Bronson's #26}
  36. Sandburg, p. 311, "Gypsy Davy" (1 fragment, 1 tune) {Bronson's #99}
  37. SHenry H124, p. 509, "The Brown-Eyed Gypsies" (1 text, 1 tune)
  38. Hammond-Belfast, p. 57, "The Dark-Eyed Gypsy" (1 text, 1 tune)
  39. Asch/Dunson/Raim, p. 108, "Black Jack David" (1 text, 1 tune)
  40. Hodgart, p. 72, "The Gypsy Laddie" (1 text)
  41. JHCox 21, "The Gyspy Laddie" (4 texts, 1 tune) {Bronson's #94}
  42. JHCoxIIA, #10A-C, pp. 40-45, "Gypsy Davy," "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies, O," "The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies, O" (3 texts, 2 tunes) {Bronson's #9, #74}
  43. Ord, pp. 411-412, "The Gypsie Laddie" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #60}
  44. Fowke/MacMillan 76, "Seven Gypsies on Yon Hill" (1 text, 1 tune)
  45. TBB 6, "The Gipsy Laddie" (1 text)
  46. Abrahams/Foss, pp. 181-184, "Gypsy Davey"; "Gypsy Laddie O"; "Gypsy Laddie" (3 texts, 3 tunes) {Bronson's #83, #81, #27}
  47. Darling-NAS, pp. 75-78, "The Gypsy Laddie"; "Gyps of David"; "Gypsy Davy (Catskill's)"; "The Gypsy Laddie" (3 texts plus a fragment)
  48. Gilbert, p. 35, "The Gypsy Davy" (1 text)
  49. Silber-FSWB, p. 194, "Gypsy Davey"; p. 211, "The Gypsy Rover"; p. 213, "The Wraggle-Taggle Gypsies" (3 texts)
  50. BBI, ZN2567, "There was seven Gipsies all in a gang"
  51. DT 200, GYPDAVY GYPLADD GYPLADD2* GYPLADD3 GYPLADX GYPBLJK* GYPSYRVR* GYPHARBR* BLCKJACK* BLCKJCK2 BLKJKDAV GYPLADY*
  52. ADDITIONAL: Walter de la Mare, _Come Hither_, revised edition, 1928; #83, "The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies" (1 text)
  53. Maud Karpeles, _Folk Songs of Europe_, Oak, 1956, 1964, pp. 38-29, "The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies O!" (1 text, 1 tune).
  54. Roud #1
  55. BI, C200

About

Alternate titles: “Black Jack Davy”; “Clayton Boone”; “The Gypsy Davy”; “Johnny Faa”; “Davy Faa”; “The Wraggle Taggle Gypsy”; “The Lady and the Gypsy”; “Harrison Brady”; “Gypson Davy”; “Black-Eyed Davy”; “The Heartless Lady”; “Egyptian Davio”; “It Was Late in the Night”; “When Johnny Came Home”; “The Gyps of Davy”; “The Dark-Clothed Gypsy”
Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1740 (Ramsay)
Found in: Britain(Scotland(Aber,Bord,High),England(All)) US(Ap,MA,MW,NE,So,SE,SW) Canada(Mar,Newf,Ont) Ireland