> Joseph Taylor > Songs > The Gipsy's Wedding Day
> Shirley Collins > Songs > The Little Gypsy Girl
> Ashley Hutchings and The Albion Band > Songs > The Little Gypsy Girl
> Eliza Carthy > Songs > Little Gypsy Girl

The Gipsy's Wedding Day / The Little Gypsy Girl

[ Roud 229 ; Laws O4 ; Ballad Index LO04 ; trad.]

Joseph Taylor sang The Gipsy's Wedding Day in 1908, which was recorded on wax cylinders for Percy Grainger and published in 1972 on the Leader LP Unto Brigg Fair. The album's sleeve notes say:

This song was in the repertoires of many of the Lincolnshire singers that Grainger obtained songs from. Despite the strictures and suspicions of many of the early collectors connected with the Folk Song Society, the tune (or versions of it) has done great service with many associated texts; among them might be mentioned The Banks of Sweet Dundee, On Board the “Kangaroo” and The Handsome Cabin Boy. Mr O'Shaughnessy notes its resemblance to The Bluebell's of Scotland. See also FSJ No. 5. Sound recordings: BBC 18691, Col 15519, FA 2362.

The Gipsy's Wedding Day was also recorded by John Roberts & Tony Barrand on Heartoutbursts: English Folksongs collected by Percy Grainger.

It was also sung and played on the fiddle by Eliza Carthy on her record Anglicana as Little Gypsy Girl. She was accompanied by Norma Waterson and Maria Gilhooley, vocals, Will Duke, concertina, and Dan Quinn, melodeon. This track was reissued on the anthology Evolving Tradition 4. Eliza Carthy commented in the former album's sleeve notes:

Joseph Taylor again. This sounds to me a bit like little orphan Annie singing about how swell her life is going to be. I imagine her and all her mates sitting around the fire having a good laugh at the end of it.

Shirley Collins sang this song with somewhat different verses as The Little Gypsy Girl. She recorded this in 1971 for her album with the Albion Country Band, No Roses and it was reissued on her anthology A Favourite Garland. Her album's sleeve notes cite Louise Holmes of Hereford as source and comment:

Recorded in the field in the 1950's by Peter Kennedy for the BBC Archives. Peter, along with Alan Lomax, Bob Copper, Hamish Henderson and Sewan O'Boyle, was responsible for collecting traditional music from all over the British Isles. All the recordings are lodged in the archives at the BBC. I've done a few radio programmes from them, and a lot of the discs are warped. I hope someone's taking care of them—it's a unique collection and deserves to be treated with a lot more care and respect.

She also sang it live with the Etchingham Steam Band in June 1975 at the 4. Folk-Festival auf der Lenzburg, reissued on Within Sound, and in July 1975 at Lewes Folk Day; the latter recording is available on the CD The Etchingham Steam Band.

Lyrics

Joseph Taylor: The Gipsy's Wedding Day

My father is the king of the gypsies that is true
My mother she learn-ed me some camping for to do
They put the pack upon me back they all did wish me well,
So I set out for London town, some fortunes for to tell.

Now as I was a-walking up fair London street,
A handsome young squi-er I chanc-ed for to meet;
He view-ed my brown cheeks and lik-ed them so well,
He said, “Me little gypsy girl, can you me fortune tell?”

“Why yes, kind sir, give me hold of your hand,
Why you have got houses, you've riches and you've land,
But all those pretty ladies, you mun put them to one side.
For I'm the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride.”

Now once I was a gypsy girl but now a squi-er's bride.
I've got servants for to wait on me and in me carriage ride,
The bells they rung so merrily and the sweet music did play,
And a jolly time we had upon the gypsy's wedding day.

Eliza Carthy: Little Gypsy Girl

My father is the king of the gypsies, it is true,
My mother, she learned me some camping for to do.
They put the pack all on my back, they all did wish me well,
So I set off to London town, some fortunes for to tell.

Now one night I came to some fair London street,
A handsome young squire I chanced for to meet,
He viewed my brown cheeks and he liked them so well,
He says, “My little gypsy girl, can you my fortune tell?”

“Why yes, kind sir, give me hold of your hand.
Why, you have got houses, you've riches and you've land.
Now all those pretty ladies, you must put them to one side,
For I'm the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride.”

Now once I was a gypsy girl but now a squire's bride,
I've servants for to wait on me and in the carriage ride.
The bells they rang so merrily, the sweet music did play,
And a jolly time we had upon the gypsy's wedding day.

Shirley Collins: The Little Gypsy Girl

My father's the king of the gypsies, it is true,
Me mother, she learned me some camping for to do.
They put the pack all on my back, and they did wish me well,
Then I went up to London, some fortunes for to tell.
Some fortunes for to tell, some fortunes for to tell,
And I went up to London, some fortunes for to tell.

As I was a-walking down a fair London street,
A handsome young squire I chanced for to meet,
He viewed my brown cheeks and he liked them so well,
Says he, “My little gypsy girl, can you me fortune tell?
Can you me fortune tell, can you me fortune tell,”
Says he, “My little gypsy girl, can you me fortune tell?”

“Oh sir,“ I replied, “Give me fast hold of your hand.
I see you have riches, and houses, and land,
And all your lovely ladies, you must lay them all aside,
I am the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride,
That is to be your bride, that is to be your bride,
I am the little gypsy girl that is to be your bride.”

He led me through woods and through valleys green, I'm sure,
Where he had got servants to open up the door
On the softest bed of down then served me so well
That in nine months after his fortune I did tell.
His fortune I did tell, his fortune I did tell,
That in nine months after his fortune I did tell.

Acknowledgements

Trascribed from the singing of Eliza Carthy by Reinhard Zierke based on Joseph Taylor's version as transcribed by Garry Gillard.