> Joseph Taylor > Songs > Worcester City
> Eliza Carthy > Songs > Worcester City
> Nic Jones > Songs > Newport Street

Oxford City / Worcester City / Newport Street / The Cup of Poison

[ Roud 218 ; Laws P30 ; Ballad Index LP30 ; trad.]

This song of a woman poisoned by her jealous lover is printed as Oxford City in Ralph Vaughan Williams and A.L. Lloyd's The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. Joseph Taylor sang it in 1908 under the title Worcester City. This was recorded on wax cylinders by Percy Grainger and published in 1972 on the LP Unto Brigg Fair. The LP's sleeve notes say:

This song is most commonly known by the alternative titles, Oxford City - The Cup of Poison or Jealousy though it appears on many broadsides under the title of In --- Town, a device to allow for localisation. For other variants see HGG, SLM, VWLP, GNE, REC, GCSM and the following broadsides: P, C, H, F, Bi Fo, WM, HP, PB, JB etc. Sound recordings: BBC 18581 BBC 22738, C-le 1, FTA 102, TC 1163, 12T138, 12T195.

Fred Jordan sang this song as Down the Green Groves in 1966 on his Topic LP Songs of a Shropshire Farm Worker and on the 2003 Veteran anthology CD box set A Shropshire Lad. Mike Yates commented in the latter sleeve notes:

A song often heard on the lips of Gypsies, who taught it to Fred in his youth. It is a version of the song better known as Oxford City or Poison in a Glass of Wine and was issued on song sheets by several 19th century broadside printers. Equally popular in America, where it sometimes goes under the name Rose Connolly, it has also turned up repeatedly in England, Ireland and Scotland.

Eliza Carthy learned Worcester City from the singing of Joseph Taylor and recorded it for her 2002 CD Anglicana. She commented in her album sleeve notes:

I first heard Joseph Taylor when my Dad played me Creeping Jane, another of his songs. He was the first traditional singer to have a commercial release after Percy Grainger recorded him and put out Brigg Fair on a wax cylinder. I always loved his voice and style, singing to me from 1908; don't ever let anyone tell you that traditional singers know nothing about music or performance! In the story I think that if I was her I'd have clocked him and tried to get back to his house and the antidote, rather than giving him the satisfaction of dying in his arms… might not have been as good a story, but Steven Spielberg might have been with me.

The website of the Australian TV series, The Pure Drop, has a short video of Eliza singing the first two verses of Worcester City.

Eliza Carthy's band-mate Tim van Eyken recorded Worcester City in 2006 for his solo CD Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves.

Jon Boden, who accompanied Eliza on melodeon on her recording of Worcester City, sang this song as the March 4, 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He reminisced in the blog:

Probably one of the most exciting phone calls I've ever had was from John Spiers saying that Eliza Carthy had been in touch and was asking if we'd like to play on her new album. This was one of three tracks we played on, and we ended up playing it quite a lot after joining her band, although we actually knew it already from Graham Metcalfe's rather magnificent pub version.

This video shows Eliza Carthy singing Worcester City at Spiers & Boden's 10th Birthday Party on May 11, 2011:

Nic Jones sang another version of this song called Newport Street on his 1978 album From the Devil to a Stranger. He gives the Journals of the Folk Song Society as his source.

Lyrics

Joseph Taylor sings Worcester City	Eliza Carthy sings Worcester City
In Worcester City there lived a damsel Now the truth to you I'll tell; She by her servantman was courted, Who ofttimes told her he loved her well.	In Worcester City there lived a damsel And now the truth to you I'll tell; She by her servantman was courted, Who often told her he loved her well.
She loved him too, but at a distance; He did not seem to be very fond. “Now for your fondness and unconstant fairness I soon will end your sweet tender life.”	She loved him true, but at a distance; He did not think to be very fond. “Now for your convicts and inconstant lovers I pray you'll end your sweet tender love.”
Then a short time after, this fair young damsel, Was invited to a ball you know. This wicked young man he followed after And soon prepared for her overthrow.	By a young master, this fair young damsel Was invited to a ball, you know. This wicked young man he followed after And soon prepared for her overthrow.
As she was dancing all with another Jealousy it filled his mind; Then to destroy his own true lover This wicked young man he was inclined.	As she was dancing all with another Jealousy it filled his mind; Then to destroy his own true lover This wicked young man he was inclined.
Then quickly he prepared some poison, And mixed it with a glass of wine, And gave it to his own true lover - She drank it with a most fearful mind.	Oh, quickly he prepared some poison, He mixed it with a glass of wine, And gave it to his own true lover; She drank it with a most fearful mind.
A little after this fair young damsel, “Now take me home, my dear,” said she “For the liquor that you have lately gave me It makes me very ill indeed.”	A little after this fair young damsel, “Now take me home, my dear,” said she “For the liquor that you have lately gave me Has made me very ill indeed.”
As they was walking along together, He then unto her did say, “I gave you poison in your liquor, All for to take your sweet life away.	As they was walking along together, He then unto her did say, “I gave you poison all in your liquor, All for to take your sweet life away.”
“And I have drunk of the same, my jewel, I soon shall die as well as thee.” So in each other's arms they di-ed; Young men beware of jealousy.	“And I have drunk of the same, my jewel, I hope to die as well as thee.” So in each other's arms they died; And young men, beware of jealousy.
Nic Jones sings Newport Street
In Newport Street it was reported: A comely woman there did dwell, And by a serving man was courted Who loved this lady exceeding well.
He says, “My dear, let us get married! Oh dearest love, don't you dislike me; I'll work for you both late and early If you my wedded wife will be.”
She says, “Kind sir, let us consider, We are both yet too young to wed. When we are married we're bound together; Let us live single for another year.”
But then he saw her dancing with some other, A jealous thought ran into his mind. For to destroy his own true lover He gave her poison in a glass of wine.
She drank the wine and then she halted, “Oh dearest love, oh and pray take me. That glass of wine you just now gave me Makes me as sick as I can be.”
As they were walking home together These very words he told to her: “That glass of wine I just now gave you It will soon take your sweet life away.”

Acknowledgements

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