A Pretty Fair Maid
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1962.74.B10
Original Tape ID
Summary
In this broken-token song, a young woman meets a man who offers her wealth and comfort if she will go with him. She refuses, saying she awaits the return of her lover from sea, though she does not know what has become of him. When the man produces one half of a ring that the lovers had as a token, she rejoices, realising the man is none other than her lover returned.
Jeannie Robertson learned the song from her mother. She remarks that many Travellers sang it.
Item Notes
7 verses of 4 lines (except verse 3 with 6 lines).
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 5, pp. 409-427, no. 1038
Ord pp. 326-327
'Irish Street Ballads' (C. O Lochlainn, 1978) pp. 4-5
'Traditional Ballad Airs' vol. 2 (W. Christie, 1881) pp. 200-201
'Sam Henry's Songs of the People' (G. Huntington, 1990) pp. 316-318
'Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1977) pp. 129-133
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (G. Greig, K. Goldstein & A. Argo, 1963 reprint) art. XXIII
'Jeannie Robertson: Emergent Singer, Transformative Voice' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 193-195
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair