“Was You Ever See?”
Description
"There was John and Jane and Betsy/Eating buns and drinking whisky/Dancing jigs upon the fiddle/Up the sides and down the middle"; singer's sister Bella is never without her umbrella; brother Joe went to Chester College for to get a bit of knowledge; etc.
Long description
"There was John and Jane and Betsy/Eating buns and drinking whisky/Dancing jigs upon the fiddle/Up the sides and down the middle"; singer's sister Bella is never without her umbrella; his brother Joe went to Chester College for to get a bit of knowledge; etc. Chorus: "Was you ever see?/Was you ever see?/ Was you ever see such a jolly time before?"
Notes
Because this is identical in form to "Cosher Bailey," I was tempted to lump them -- but Cosher isn't in it, so I split them. - PJS
Kennedy regards "Cosher Bailey" as an offshoot of this song. But Kennedy thinks everything is a version of everything else; he offers no evidence. - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "Cosher Bailey's Engine" (tune, structure) and references there
Recordings
- Manfrie Wood, "Was You Ever See?" (on FSB10)
References
- Kennedy 309, "Was You Ever See" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Roud #2144
- BI, K309