The Black Jack Gypsy Cycle
Robert Derrick
I have for some time wanted to collect as many
different versions of this Gypsy Rover/Black
Jack Davey song as I could, but have not yet
put together a definitive list, nor do I have
performances of all the versions that I know exist.
But, that never stopped me before, and maybe
some of you all can fill in some blanks.
Basically, it's the story of the dark
gypsy who takes a lady from her home. I was
once regailed by Norman Kennedy to a tale that
purported to be the true story from whence the
song sprang, and in this tale, indeed the
"gypsy" turned out to be a cool rich guy.
I would've thought that this was a later
addition, but, you never know.
However, the Gypsy Laddie is old enough to
be Child 200, where he is named Johnny Faa.
How he became Davy I don't know for sure, but
the following may be a connection.
A very basic version, perhaps not an ancestor
at all, but to my mind, a telling with much
less wishful thinking, and, the most likely
outcome of young ladies' encounters with
dark gypsies. This is Davy Faa (Faa being
an evidently common gypsy name, and reputedly
a surname occasionally attached to the dark
gypsy). In Davy Faa, the gypsy comes, has
the "wills" of the young lady, and then leaves
her pregnant. She doe not "away with" him.
However, unlike many other songs with a similar
outcome, her family is forgiving in this
version, which I have from Jean Redpath.
For any man that weds my girl
It's he'll get land quite free
For any man that weds my girl
It's he'll get gowd quite free
For although she's lost her maidenhead
Oh, what the waur is she
Then there's the basic gypsy Black Jack Davy/
Wraggle Taggle Gypsies versions, where he either
charms her with his charming, dangerous, dashing
adventurous behavior, or as Robin Williamson's
version has it, they, the gypsies, cast their
"glamourie" over her, using magic to convince
her to leave her rich husband and baby. These are
also often the "three gypsies" versions.
Of the many versions of this theme, their choruses:
One sang high and one sang low
And one sang bonny bonny biscay O
from ??? (I've heard it sung in song circles and
as a Morris dance, but I have no recording of it)
And she's gone with the Black Jack Gypsy
Oh, Oh, Oh,
She's gone with the Black Jack Gypsy, Oh
from Wendy Grossman
Rattle to me gypsy, gypsy, gypsy
Rattle to me gypsy Davey
from Ed McCurdy
For he rode o'er hills and he rode o'er dales
Over many's the wide high mountain
And they did say that saw him go
Black Jack Davey he is hunting
from Steeleye Span
Laddie Oh, laddie Oh,
Follow the gypsy laddie, Oh
from The Tannahill Weavers (anybody know which Tanna' album
this is on; I haven't been able to find it)
and a couple with no chorus
Gypsies came to the castle gate
They sang so high, they sang so low
They sang so neat and so very very sweet
That they stole away the heart of a lady, Oh
from Robin Williamson (slow and eerie version)
Black Jack Davey come a walking up the road
Singing his song so gaily
Well, he sang so sweet, and so neat and complete
And he stole the heart of a lady
He stole the heart of a lady
from Taj Mahal (a bluesy version)
Three gypsies come to ower hall door
And oh but they were bonny oh
They sang sae neat and sae complete
That they stole the heart of a lady, Oh
from Archie Fisher
There is then of course the most popular version (the one
that Norman's story is supposed to be based upon), and
that is the Ah-dee-do-da-dee-do-da-day one, which nearly
everybody has done, and which, to the best of my knowledge,
only exists in one basic version with little or no variation.
This is the "folk" version which was captured the sixties
folk revival.
The gypsy rover come over the hill
Down through the valley so gaily
He whistled and he sang til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady
And, of course, in this version, he turns out to be a
rich guy who was just pretending to be a gypsy kidnapping,
not a wife this time, but a daughter.
Now, there are a couple of very unusual additions to the
cycle. One, written by Paul Espinoza, of
Golden Bough. In this one, the gypsy has himself been
gyp'ed, and she has run off again, and he spends all
his time now searching for her, but never finding her.
And they call me Black Jack, Black Jack Davey
'Cause I ride the hills in search of a fair young lady
And they call me Black Jack, Black Jack Davey
And I'll ride those hills until I find my lady
Another, from the singing of Ed Trickett, is a version
from New Mexico, called Clayton Boone, which he credits
to Larry Hank through David Jone.
Out along in New Mexico
Down on the Spanish line
Working for old Clayton Boone
A man well past his prime
He rides in and he asks of me,
"What's happened to my lady?"
Says I to him, "She's quit your range;
Gone with the handsome Davy"
And another, from the Incredible String Band, that has
almost a Cajun feel.
Black Jack Davy, that's the name that I bear
Been alone in the forest a long time
But the time has come and when the lady I'll find
I will love her, and hold her
Sing it to the green green trees
Lastly, this one is not really in the cycle at all, but for
me represents a new step, and a great song, which owes
at least part of its inspiration to the Black Jack Davey.
The song of the gypsy Davey
Rang delighted through the night
The wise and foolish virgin
Kept her candle burning bright
Rise my young and foolish one
And follow if you can
There'll be no need for candles
In the arms of such a man
from Bob Franke - Beggars to God
If anyone can add ought to this, please do, and especially
if you can point me to some available recordings of the
Biscay-O gypsy.
rob derrick
PAULSBANJO
Hi Robert
I think there's a "Hally Wood" version of Black Jack Davy"
(U. S.) If you can find it (Its probably "out of print")
If I'm not wrong "Hally Wood" was related to "Hobart Smith"
Yours Paul Schoenwetter
Mary Creasey
Robert Derrick wrote:
>
> I have for some time wanted to collect as many
> different versions of this Gypsy Rover/Black
> Jack Davey song as I could, but have not yet
> put together a definitive list, nor do I have
> performances of all the versions that I know exist.
>
> But, that never stopped me before, and maybe
> some of you all can fill in some blanks.
>
> Basically, it's the story of the dark
> gypsy who takes a lady from her home. I was
> once regailed by Norman Kennedy to a tale that
> purported to be the true story from whence the
> song sprang, and in this tale, indeed the
> "gypsy" turned out to be a cool rich guy.
> I would've thought that this was a later
> addition, but, you never know.
>
[many excellent examples snipped]
>
> If anyone can add ought to this, please do, and especially
> if you can point me to some available recordings of the
> Biscay-O gypsy.
>
> rob derrick
Heather Alexander has "Black Jack's Lady" on her album _Life's
Flame--from the woman's POV...GOOD song!
Mary the Filker
(aka Mary Creasey of Random Factors, a filkmusic dealer
I carry this album; e-mail me for details)
Abby Sale
On Tue, 22 Jul 1997 15:11:53 -0500, Robert Derrick <ro...@lanl.gov> wrote:
>I have for some time wanted to collect as many
>different versions of this Gypsy Rover/Black
>Jack Davey song as I could, but have not yet
>put together a definitive list, nor do I have
Since this is a Child Ballad, #200 in his collection, there are already
several strong references in the available literature. What you've done
so far is admirable but the song is so well known that there are hundreds
of versions on several continents.
Get BH Bronson's _The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads_ from your
Inter-Library Loan department. He prints 128 versions with tunes. Lomax
and Laws both have limited (& now dated, of course, but you're seeking
diversity anyway) discographies.
It wouldn't surprise me if you found more than one book studying this
song only.
Get thee to a library.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ---
I am Abby Sale - abby...@orlinter.com (That's in Orlando)
A.J. Davis
Hallo,
This group also divides into the eventual fate of the woman
(Lady Castle/Cassil/Cashell) and the gypsy. In some
versions the woman is rescued and the gypsy killed; in
others the woman is killed for running off and the gypsy
killed for taking her (weird logic but great balladry!) and
one version (Scottish, close to that recorded by both McColl
and Archie Fisher) has " Lord Castle drew out his sharp
sharp sword, the blade shone so brightly, and he's struck of
his lady's head for lying with the gypsy laddie. But the
gypsy's drawn his black black knife, the blade it glimmered
grimly and he's stabbed Lord Castle to the very heart for
the killing of his lady." (This version also contains
'...what care i for my newly wed lord when i've lain with
the loving gypsy ...' and i love the ambiguity - who
exactly does the 'his' refer to in this line '...killing of
*his* lady...' ? Is she the gypsy's lady or Lord Castle's ?
what constitutes marriage, the ceremony (Lord and Lady
Castle) or the emotion (Lady Castle and the gypsy) ??
Several other versions of this song also contain
considerable sexual ambiguity. I've often wondered for
example about the line, common to many, 'why did you leave
your newly wedded lord, why did you leave your baby'.
Unless married for 9 months is still newly married then the
baby wasn't the husband's, Lord Castle or whatever his name.
Whose was it ? the gypsy's ? someone else's entirely ??
A further puzzle hides in the lines (think of the 'Seven
yellow gypsies' versions) 'the lady she's come down stairs,
her serving maids about her, but when they (the gypsies)
spied her well favoured face they cast their magic over
her'. Noting in passing that these versions refer to group
'abduction' do these lines mean that the lady was chosen
because she was the most beautiful *or* that the lady was
attetmpting to avoid the gypsies' atttention by surrounding
herself with other women ?
have fun ! Andrew
Andrew Davis
University of Leeds, Yorkshire
England, LS2 9JT UK
a.j....@uk.ac.leeds
Paul Draper
A.J. Davis <PAB...@leeds.ac.uk> wrote in article
<5r7ind$890...@leeds.ac.uk>...
>. I've often wondered for
> example about the line, common to many, 'why did you leave
> your newly wedded lord, why did you leave your baby'.
> Unless married for 9 months is still newly married then the
> baby wasn't the husband's, Lord Castle or whatever his name.
> Whose was it ? the gypsy's ? someone >
Don't forget it was common in many places at various times for a couple to
wed only after a child had been born.
Paul Draper
Andrew Frame
In article <33D514...@lanl.gov>, Robert Derrick <ro...@lanl.gov>
writes
>snip
>If anyone can add ought to this, please do, and especially
>if you can point me to some available recordings of the
>Biscay-O gypsy.
>
>rob derrick
Fred Wedlock does a parody/modern version:-
He drove East and he drove West
Until he came to Knebworth Oh
There she did stand with a joint in her hand
freaking out to Hawkwind O
--
Andy Frame
Gerry Myerson
> I have for some time wanted to collect as many
> different versions of this Gypsy Rover/Black
> Jack Davey song as I could, but have not yet
> put together a definitive list, nor do I have
> performances of all the versions that I know exist.
A few more recordings that you didn't mention, though I don't know
whether they include any versions that would be new to you:
Bob Dylan, on Good As I Been To You. I've never heard anyone else do it
to the tune Dylan uses (but I don't get out very much).
Bryan Bowers --- sorry, don't remember which album, but there are only
four anyway (so far as I know).
Woody Guthrie --- it's on some "Best of Woody Guthrie" vinyl I bought
years ago.
Pete Seeger has recorded it (and practically every other song known to
our species).
There are also a couple of parodies which might not interest you.
I found one at the Digital Tradition where the couple go to Atlantic
City, but she dumps him when he loses his money at the casino. A local
humorist named Alan Foster has written & recorded a version set in
modern-day Sydney, where the gypsy is replaced by a traveling salesman.
Gerry Myerson (ge...@mpce.mq.edu.au)
RACHEBROWN
>> I have for some time wanted to collect as many
>> different versions of this Gypsy Rover/Black
>> Jack Davey song as I could, but have not yet
>> put together a definitive list, nor do I have
>> performances of all the versions that I know exist.
>
>
Joan Baez sings a version that I'm pretty sure is the same as Bob Dylan's.
My favorite take on the song, however, is on the Waterboys "Room to
Roam," called "The Raggle-Taggle Gypsies."
Rachel