A Pretty Fair Maid
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1953.195.6
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 he is none other than her lover returned.
This is the first time in twenty years that Jeannie Robertson has sung the song.
Item Notes
Seven verses of four lines, except verse three, which has six. Jeannie Robertson also learned another version of this song from Jean Ritchie, the fieldworker present on this recording, who provided the other version while on a visit to Scotland in the early 1960s.
See:
Greig-Duncan vol. 5, no. 1038
Ord pp. 326-327
'Jeannie Robertson: Emergent Singer, Transformative Voice' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 193-195
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair