lyrics-Pretty Peg

[Ptbrady]

I assume that "Pretty Peg" is the song on the Bothy Band 1975 recording. I
don't have the lyrics spefically for that version, but it is a variant of
the "Keach in the Creel", Child ballad #281, and can be found in any
standard text of Child Ballads (for example, B. Bronson's compilation). It
also was performed by Paul Brady in a version taken from Packie Manus
Byrne on Brady's album, Welcome Home Kind Stranger. Good luck with getting
the precise lyrics, but these leads should help.
Pete Brady

[Gregory Lewis]

I would like the lyrics to "Pretty Peg", can't seem to find. Would
appreciate any help. Thanks!

[Barrie McCombs]

Is it "Pretty Peggy-O" which you are looking for. Also known as:
Fennario, Peggy-O, and The Maid of Fife?
- Barrie

[MEGFL]

I believe the song referred to is one that I have heard on The Bothy
Band's 1975 First Album. Track #10 includes a song called "Pretty Peg".
Unfortunately, I have yet to make out all the words. Please let me know
if you find them.

Thanks.

Meg

[Scott C DeLancey]

In article <4u1121$g...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, MEGFL <me...@aol.com> wrote:
>I believe the song referred to is one that I have heard on The Bothy
>Band's 1975 First Album. Track #10 includes a song called "Pretty Peg".

I've got most of this--if anybody can fix up the couple of weak
spots I'd be grateful too:

When pretty Peg went down the street some fresh fish for to buy
By the way ??? I followed after her, and I kissed her by and by
(something about "waiting lad"?)

With my tiddy right fol a diddle die do
With my tiddy right fol a diddle dan

Oh, how can I get to your chamber, love, or how can I get to your bed
When your daddy goes to sleep at night with the key lying under his head

Oh, go and fetch a ladder, love, with 30 steps and 3
And put it to the chimney top and come down in a creel to me

I went and got a ladder, love, with 30 steps and 3
And a creel, up to the chimney top (??) and come down in a creel to she

No peace nor ease could the old wife get, with dreams running
through her head
I'll lay me life says the gay old wife there's a boy in me daughter's
bed

So up the stairs the old man came and into the room crept he
Silence reigned for the daughter slept and he never twigged the creel

My (??) attend you, Father, what brought you up so soon
To put me through my evening prayers, and I just lying down

He went back to his gay old wife, he went back to she
"She has the prayer book in her hand and she's praying for you and me"

No peace nor ease could the old wife get till she would rise and see
She came down a stumbling (???) and into the creel went she.

Hi I rocked her, ho, I rocked here, didn't I rock her well
For if any old wife begrudge me her daughter I'd rock her into Hell

The song is more commonly called "The Creel", and several different
recorded versions are available.

Scott DeLancey

[Gregory Lewis]

Thanks. Between the 2 of us, we may get all the lyrics.

[Scott C DeLancey]

In article <4u56bj$b...@mn5.swip.net>,
Henrik Norbeck <henrik....@mailbox.swipnet.se> wrote:

>dela...@darkwing.uoregon.edu (Scott C DeLancey) wrote:
>>I've got most of this--if anybody can fix up the couple of weak
>>spots I'd be grateful too:
>

>This is what I can figure out. I've corrected some of the words in
>your transcription, and filled in some of the question marks. Where
>I'm not sure of a word I've put (?) after it. If I haven't a clue I've
>put ???.
>
>---------------------------------------------------

>
>When pretty Peg went down the street some fresh fish for to buy

>By (but?) the way ??? I followed after her, and I kissed her by and by
> (something about "waiting lad"? "wedding class"?)

Yeah, it does sound like "wedding class", but it makes no sense
to me that way.

>I went and got a ladder, love, with 30 steps and 3

>And a creel, at the top of that (??) and come down in the ??? to ???

Anybody else have any suggestions here?

>Then up the stairs the old man crept and into the room did steal
>Silence reigned for the daughter slept and he never twigged (?) the
>creel

"Twigged" is right, for sure--it means "catch on, suspect"

>My curse attend you, Father, what brought you up so soon

>To put me through my evening prayers, and I just lying down

I hear "curse" too, but is that really what she's saying to
her father??

Scott DeLancey

[Henrik Norbeck]

dela...@darkwing.uoregon.edu (Scott C DeLancey) wrote:
>I've got most of this--if anybody can fix up the couple of weak
>spots I'd be grateful too:

This is what I can figure out. I've corrected some of the words in
your transcription, and filled in some of the question marks. Where
I'm not sure of a word I've put (?) after it. If I haven't a clue I've
put ???.

---------------------------------------------------

When pretty Peg went down the street some fresh fish for to buy
By (but?) the way ??? I followed after her, and I kissed her by and by
(something about "waiting lad"? "wedding class"?)

With my tiddy right fol a diddle die do

With my tiddy right fol a diddle dan

Oh, how can I get to your chamber, love, or how can I get to your bed

When your daddy goes to bed at night with the key lying under his head

Oh, go and get a ladder, love, with 30 steps and 3

And put it to the chimney top and come down in a creel to me

I went and got a ladder, love, with 30 steps and 3

And a creel, at the top of that (??) and come down in the ??? to ???

No peace nor ease could the old wife get, with dreams running

through her head
I'll lay me life says the gay old wife there's a boy in me daughter's
bed

Then up the stairs the old man crept and into the room did steal

Silence reigned for the daughter slept and he never twigged (?) the
creel

My curse attend you, Father, what brought you up so soon

To put me through my evening prayers, and I just lying down

He went back to his gay old wife, he went back to she

"She has the prayer book in her hand and she's praying for you and me"

No peace nor ease could the old wife get till she would rise and see

She came on a stumbling down (?) and into the creel went she.

Hi I rocked her, ho, I rocked here, didn't I rock her well
For if any old wife begrudge me her daughter I'd rock her into Hell

Henrik Norbeck, Stockholm, Sweden
henrik....@mailbox.swipnet.se
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/1789/ Irish & Swedish Tunebook

[Henrik Norbeck]

dela...@darkwing.uoregon.edu (Scott C DeLancey) wrote:

>>When pretty Peg went down the street some fresh fish for to buy
>>By (but?) the way ??? I followed after her, and I kissed her by and by
>> (something about "waiting lad"? "wedding class"?)

>Yeah, it does sound like "wedding class", but it makes no sense
>to me that way.

Doesn't make any sense to me either, but that's the only words I can
fit in with what I hear.

>>I went and got a ladder, love, with 30 steps and 3
>>And a creel, at the top of that (??) and come down in the ??? to ???

>Anybody else have any suggestions here?

>>Then up the stairs the old man crept and into the room did steal

>>Silence reigned for the daughter slept and he never twigged (?) the
>>creel

>"Twigged" is right, for sure--it means "catch on, suspect"

>>My curse attend you, Father, what brought you up so soon

>>To put me through my evening prayers, and I just lying down

>I hear "curse" too, but is that really what she's saying to
>her father??

I think that's actually what she says. "My curse attend you ..." is a
cliche which appears in other songs too.

[Douglas Jole]

Henrik Norbeck wrote:
>
> dela...@darkwing.uoregon.edu (Scott C DeLancey) wrote:
>
> >>When pretty Peg went down the street some fresh fish for to buy
> >>By (but?) the way ??? I followed after her, and I kissed her by and by
> >> (something about "waiting lad"? "wedding class"?)
>
> >Yeah, it does sound like "wedding class", but it makes no sense
> >to me that way.

How about "wedding claethes", dialect for "wedding clothes"?

[Dennis J. Gormley]

In a previous article, henrik....@mailbox.swipnet.se (Henrik Norbeck) wrote:
->dela...@darkwing.uoregon.edu (Scott C DeLancey) wrote:
->
->>>When pretty Peg went down the street some fresh fish for to buy
->>>By (but?) the way ??? I followed after her, and I kissed her by and by
->>> (something about "waiting lad"? "wedding class"?)
->
->>Yeah, it does sound like "wedding class", but it makes no sense
->>to me that way.
->
->Doesn't make any sense to me either, but that's the only words I can
->fit in with what I hear.

I always thought she was saying "wedding dress"; then again, that could've been
too much rock and roll in my youth :)

Dennis

[Mike Biffle]

I've seen many versions of Keach in the Creel, and now these
transcriptions, and I have to say that 'The Ride in the Creel'
on the Martin Carthy / Dave Swarbrick album 'Skin and Bone' (I hope
that's it) makes more sense than anything else I've seen so far.

If you have trouble getting the lyrics, I can send them to you.
I can also check to be sure that's the CD it's on.

Cheers, Miko