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Jolly Bold Robber / The Saucy Bold Robber

[ Roud 1464 ; trad.]

This early 19th century Norfolk robber ballad was first collected by the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams from Mr Anderson of King's Lynn and published in Cecil Sharp's English Country Folk Songs. John Kirkpatrick sang Jolly Bold Robber on Brass Monkey's eponymous 1983 LP Brass Monkey, which was re-released in 1993 as the first half of their CD The Complete Brass Monkey. This video shows Brass Monkey at the Oxford Folk Festival in 2008:

John Kirkpatrick also sang Jolly Bold Robber live in July 2000 at the harbour festival in Douarnenez (Bretagne); this was published on the CD Douarnenez port de fête.

Roy Harris sang a very similar version called The Saucy Bold Robber in 1975 on his album Champions of Folly. He learned the song from A.L. Lloyd, and he was accompanied by Martin Carthy on guitar and Bobby Campbell on fiddle. This track was also included on the Topic CD Bold Sportsmen All and on the 2 CD anthology The Folk Collection.

Jon Boden sang Jolly Bold Robber—which he recently learnt for a new Bellowhead album—as the impromptu 2012 leap year's day entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

Lyrics

John Kirkpatrick sings Jolly Bold Robber

Come all you good people that go out a-tippling
I pray you give attention and listen to me song
I'll sing you a ditty of a jolly bold robber
Stood seven feet high in proportion quite strong

Well he robbed Lawyer Morgan and old Lady Dawkings
Five hundred bright guineas from each one of them
And as he was a-strolling he spied a young sailor
And bold as a lion he slewed up to him

Hand over your money you saucy young sailor
There's plenty of bulk in your pockets I see
Aye aye said the sailor I've plenty of money
But while I have life I've got none for thee

Well I just left me ship gave the press gang the slip
And I'm off up to London me sweetheart to see
With forty bright sovereigns to pay our sweet lodgings
So I pray you bold robber don't take them from me

But the robber caught hold of this gallant young sailor
With a blow like a pole-axe felled him to the ground
Aye aye said the sailor you struck me quite heavy
But now I'll endeavour to repay you in kind

So then both they stripped and like tigers they skipped
And they fought life for life like soldiers in the field
But the ninety-seventh meeting it was their completing
But this gallant young sailor the robber he killed

And down then he looked on this blood-stained old robber
I hope you'll forgive me old fellow says he
But if I had just lifted one thousand bright guineas
Well I'm damned if I'd have stopped a poor sailor like me

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Garry Gillard with some help from Wolfgang Hell: thanks.