[THIS still popular song is quoted by Grose in his OLIO, where it is made the subject of a burlesque commentary, the covert political allusions having evidently escaped the penetration of the antiquary. The reader familiar with the annals of the Commonwealth and the Restoration, will readily detect the leading points of the allegory. The 'Carrion Crow' in the oak is Charles II., who is represented as that bird of voracious appetite, because he deprived the puritan clergy of their livings; perhaps, also, because he ordered the bodies of the regicides to be exhumed - as Ainsworth says in one of his ballads:-The carrion crow is a sexton bold, He raketh the dead from out of the mould.
The religion of the 'old sow,' whoever she may be, is clearly pointed out by her little pigs praying for her soul. The 'tailor'
is not easily identified. It is possibly intended for some puritan divine of the name of Taylor, who wrote and preached against both prelacy and papacy, but with an especial hatred of the latter. In the last verse he consoles himself by the reflection that, notwithstanding the deprivations, his party will have enough remaining from the voluntary contributions of their adherents. The 'cloak' which the tailor is engaged in cutting out, is the Genevan gown, or cloak; the 'spoon' in which he desires his wife to bring treacle, is apparently an allusion to the 'spatula' upon which the wafer is placed in the administration of the Eucharist; and the introduction of 'chitterlings and black-puddings' into the last verse seems to refer to a passage in Rabelais, where the same dainties are brought in to personify those who, in the matter of fasting, are opposed to Romish practices. The song is found in collections of the time of Charles II.]
THE carrion crow he sat upon an oak, And he spied an old tailor a cutting out a cloak.
Heigho! the carrion crow.
The carrion crow he began for to rave, And he called the tailor a lousy knave!
Heigho! the carrion crow.
'Wife, go fetch me my arrow and my bow, I'll have a shot at that carrion crow.'
Heigho! the carrion crow.
The tailor he shot, and he missed his mark, But he shot the old sow through the heart.
Heigho! the carrion crow.
'Wife, go fetch me some treacle in a spoon, For the old sow's in a terrible swoon!'
Heigho! the carrion crow.
The old sow died, and the bells they did toll, And the little pigs prayed for the old sow's soul!
Heigho! the carrion crow.
'Never mind,' said the tailor, 'I don't care a flea, There'll be still black-puddings, souse, and chitterlings for me.'
Heigho! the carrion crow.
Ballad: THE LEATHERN BOTTEL. SOMERSETSHIRE VERSION.
[IN Chappell's POPULAR MUSIC is a much longer version of THELEATHERN BOTTEL. The following copy is the one sung at the present time by the country-people in the county of Somerset. It has been communicated to our pages by Mr. Sandys.]
GOD above, who rules all things, Monks and abbots, and beggars and kings, The ships that in the sea do swim, The earth, and all that is therein;Not forgetting the old cow's hide, And everything else in the world beside:
And I wish his soul in heaven may dwell, Who first invented this leathern bottel!
Oh! what do you say to the glasses fine?
Oh! they shall have no praise of mine;
Suppose a gentleman sends his man To fill them with liquor, as fast as he can, The man he falls, in coming away, And sheds the liquor so fine and gay;But had it been in the leathern bottel, And the stopper been in, 'twould all have been well!
Oh! what do you say to the tankard fine?
Oh! it shall have no praise of mine;
Suppose a man and his wife fall out, -
And such things happen sometimes, no doubt, -They pull and they haul; in the midst of the fray They shed the liquor so fine and gay;But had it been in the leathern bottel, And the stopper been in, 'twould all have been well!
Now, when this bottel it is worn out, Out of its sides you may cut a clout;This you may hang upon a pin, -
'Twill serve to put odd trifles in;
Ink and soap, and candle-ends, For young beginners have need of such friends.
And I wish his soul in heaven may dwell, Who first invented the leathern bottel!
Ballad: THE FARMER'S OLD WIFE. A SUSSEX WHISTLING SONG.
[THIS is a countryman's whistling song, and the only one of the kind which we remember to have heard. It is very ancient, and a great favourite. The farmer's wife has an adventure somewhat resembling the hero's in the burlesque version of DON GIOVANNI.
The tune is LILLI BURLERO, and the song is sung as follows:- the first line of each verse is given as a solo; then the tune is continued by a chorus of whistlers, who whistle that portion of the air which in LILLI BURLERO would be sung to the words, LILLIBURLERO BULLEN A LA. The songster then proceeds with the tune, and sings the whole of the verse through, after which the strain is resumed and concluded by the whistlers. The effect, when accompanied by the strong whistles of a group of lusty countrymen, is very striking, and cannot be adequately conveyed by description.
This song constitutes the 'traditionary verses' upon which Burns founded his CARLE OF KILLYBURN BRAES.]
THERE was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell, [CHORUS OF WHISTLERS.]
There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell, And he had a bad wife, as many knew well.
[CHORUS OF WHISTLERS.]
Then Satan came to the old man at the plough, -'One of your family I must have now.
'It is not your eldest son that I crave, But it is your old wife, and she I will have.'
'O, welcome! good Satan, with all my heart, I hope you and she will never more part.'
Now Satan has got the old wife on his back, And he lugged her along, like a pedlar's pack.
He trudged away till they came to his hall-gate, Says he, 'Here! take in an old Sussex chap's mate!'
O! then she did kick the young imps about, -Says one to the other, 'Let's try turn her out.'
She spied thirteen imps all dancing in chains, She up with her pattens, and beat out their brains.
She knocked the old Satan against the wall, -'Let's try turn her out, or she'll murder us all!'
