Henry, My Son- George Spicer (Sus) 1973 Yates
[From: Musical Traditions' 2001 recording: Up in the North, Down in the South (MT CD 311-2) collected by Mike Yates, his notes follow. This is a short version of the modern (1900s) UK version of Lord Randal titled, Henry My Son.
R. Matteson 2018]
Although George was known as a Sussex singer, he was, in fact, born in the village of Little Chart in Kent, in 1906. For most of his early life he was employed as a herdsman in the area between Dover and Deal, and all of his songs heard on these CDs came originally from this part of Kent. George had Searching for Young Lambs, The Lily-White Hand and Blackberry Fold from his mother, who sang them at home .
"Henry, My Son." Sung by George Spicer at his home in Selsfield, Sussex in 1973.
"What have you been eating-of, Hen-er-y, my son?
What have you been eating of, my pretty one?"
"Eels, dear Mother. Eels, dear Mother.
Come shake up my bed for I want to lie down,
Oh, I want to lie down."
"Who gave you those eels, Hen-er-y, my son?
Sister, dear Mother. Sister, dear Mother."
"What will you leave your father, Hen-er-y, my son?
Farms and cattle, farms and cattle."
"What will you leave your mother, Hen-er-y, my son?
Wealth and riches, wealth and riches."
"What will you leave your sister, Hen-er-y, my son?"
"A rope for to hang her, a rope for to hang her,
Come shake up my bed, for I want to lie down,
Oh, I want to lie down."
Spoken: Don't know no more.
Nowadays, English versions of Lord Randal are usually met with in the form that George sang, although one gloriously eccentric version, Ray Driscoll's The Wild, Wild Berry (EFDSS CD02), turned up recently in London.
It is an old and widespread ballad with 493 Roud instances, well over half of which are from N America, and the British ones are spread right across these islands. The list includes some 40 sound recordings, but the only other versions on CD are those by John MacDonald (TSCD653) and Mary Delaney (TSCD667), plus a compilation of edited fragments, sung by Jeannie Robertson, Elizabeth Cronin, Thomas Moran, Colm McDonagh and Eirlys & Eddis Thomas, which can be heard on Classic Ballads of Britain & Ireland vol.1 (Rounder 1775).