Bluegrass Messengers

12A. Billie Boy- Recordings & Info

12A. Billie Boy- Recordings & Info

"According to Hugill (1969: 32) and Bronson (1959, vol.I: 226-236), Highland Laddie is related to the once popular Billy Boy, which is a parody of Lord Randall and was not only sung by seamen, but was also used as a children's song." (Maija M. Lutz - 1978). For a related version see: Bonny Lad, Highland Lad (My Boy Willy) in the English versions.

CONTENTS
1) Alternative Titles
2) Ballad Index
3) Folk Index
4) Mainly Norfolk

ATTACHED PAGES: (see left hand column)
1) Roud Number 326: Billy Boy (306 Listings)

Alternative Titles

Bonny Lad, Highland Lad (My Boy Willy)
My Boy Billy
My Boy Willy
Where Have You Been All Day?- Mother Goose 1869
Where have you been all the day, My boy Billy?
My Boy Tammy- Macneill- 1791
Whar hae ye been a' day, my boy Tammy
The Lammie
The Lammy- David Herd 1776
Tammy's Courtship- Halliwell

Tradtional Ballad Index: Billy Boy

DESCRIPTION: Asked where he has been, Billy says he has been courting, and has found a girl, "but she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother." In response to other questions, he describes her many virtues, always returning to his refrain
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1776 (Herd, according to Opie-Oxford2)
KEYWORDS: courting age youth
FOUND IN: US(Ap,MA,MW,NE,Ro,SE,So) Britain(England(North,South)) Canada(Mar,Ont)
REFERENCES (26 citations):
Bronson (12), 29 versions (though Bronson omits a higher fraction than usual of the versions known to him)
Belden, pp. 499-501, "Billy Boy" (2 texts)
Randolph 104, "Billy Boy" (1 text plus a fragment and 5 excerpts, 1 tune)
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 131-133, "Billy Boy" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 104A)
BrownIII 121, "Billy Boy" (2 texts plus an excerpt; the headnotes mention 47 texts in the Brown collection)
Hudson 133, pp. 278-280, "Billy Boy" (4 texts, condensed, plus mention of "at least" 8 more)
Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 296-298, "Billy Boy" (4 texts, mostly short; 1 tune on p.435) {Bronson's #27}
Eddy 38, "Billy Boy" (5 texts, 1 tune)
Creighton/Senior, pp. 246-248, "Billy Boy" (2 texts plus 2 fragments, 1 tune) {Bronson's #20}
Flanders/Brown, pp. 162-163, "Billy Boy" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronon's #29}
Linscott, pp. 166-167, "Billy Boy" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #19}
Wyman-Brockway I, p. 14, "Billie Boy" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #26}
Fuson, p. 105, "Billy Boy" (1 text)
Cambiaire, pp. 45-46, "Billy Boy" (1 text)
SharpAp 89, "My Boy Billy" (3 texts, 3 tunes) {B=Bronson's #22, C=#8}
Sharp-100E 58, "My Boy Willie" (1 text, 1 tune)
Reeves-Sharp 12, "Billy Boy" (1 text)
Lomax-ABFS, pp. 320-322, "Billy Boy" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #28}
Hugill, pp. 450-452, "Billy Boy" (3 texts, 2 tunes) [AbrEd, pp. 336-338]
LPound-ABS, 113, pp. 231-232, "Billy Boy" (1 text)
JHCox 168, "Billy Boy" (4 texts)
Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 267, "Billy Boy" (1 text)
Opie-Oxford2 45, "Where have you been all the day, My boy Billy?" (2 texts)
cf. Gardner/Chickering, p. 477, "Billy Boy" (source notes only)
DT (12), BILLYBOY BLLYBOY2* BLLYBOY3*
ADDITIONAL: Walter de la Mare, _Come Hither_, revised edition, 1928; #40, "My Boy Tammy" (1 text)
Roud #326
RECORDINGS:
Ray Covert, "Billy Boy" (Herwin 75564, c. 1927)
Frank Crumit, "Billy Boy" (Victor 19945, 1926)
Donnie Stewart & Terry Perkins, "Billy Boy" (on JThomas01)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 25(1057), "The Lammy" ("Whar hae ye been a' day, my boy Tammy"), D. Bass (Newcastle), 1800-1810; also 2806 c.14(107), "The Lammie"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Lord Randal" [Child 12]
NOTES: A number of scholars have linked this simple little song with the classic ballad "Lord Randall." Since they only have two things in common, however (the courting theme and certain metrical traits), in the Ballad Index at least we keep them separate.
De la Mare attributes the "My Boy Tammy" text to Hector MacNeill (1746-1818), a prolific author now almost forgotten. (Granger's Index to Poetry, for instance, cites only one of his poems: This one.) Given the dates of other versions, it seems unlikely that MacNeill originated "Billy Boy," but he may well have created a popular recension. - RBW
The Bodleian "Lammy"/"Lammie" texts match the first verse of Opie-Oxford2 45 second text.
The "Lammy"/"Lammie" texts are well enough known to have parodies. See, for example: NLScotland, L.C.1270(002), "Parody on the Lammy" ("O whar hae ye been a' day, creeshie souter Johnnie"), unknown, c.1845, an anti-alcohol song; Bodleian, Harding B 27(44), "Bottom's Song" ("Whar ha'e ye been a' day"), McNeil and Co. (Edinburgh?), no date, a song on 19th century politics. - BS

Keefer's Folk Index: Billy Boy [Sh 89/Me II-B 1]

Rt - My Boy Tammie
At - Charming Billy
Pb - Billy Boy (Parody)
Lomax, J. A. & A. Lomax / American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p320
Snyder, Jerry (arr.) / Golden Guitar Folk Sing Book, Hansen, fol (1972), p 24
Leisy, James / Songs for Pickin' and Singin', Gold Medal Books, sof (1962), p 82
Taussig, Harry / Teach Yourself Guitar, Oak, Sof (1971), p120
Lynn, Frank (ed.) / Songs for Swingin' Housemothers, Fearon, Sof (1963/1961), p193
Best, Dick & Beth (eds.) / New Song Fest Deluxe, Hansen, Sof (1971/1948), p 35
Sing Together. A Girl Scout Songbook, Girl Scouts, Sof (1957/1949), p 39
Kennedy, Charles O'Brien (ed.) / American Ballads - Naughty, Ribald and, Premier Book, sof (1956/1952), p 60
Kennedy, Charles O'Brien (ed.) / Treasury of American Ballads; Gay, Naug, McBride, Bk (1954), p191
Sandburg, Helga (ed.) / Sweet Music, Dial, Bk (1963), p141
Home Spun Songs, Treasure Chest, Fol (1935), p47
Luboff, Norman; and Win Stracke (eds.) / Songs of Man, Prentice-Hall, Bk (1966), p 88 (My Boy Willie)
Lorenz, Ellen J.(ed.) / Men's Get-Together Songs, Lorenz, fol (1938), p103/#148
Fox, Lillian M. / Folk Songs of the United States, Calif. State Series, Fol (1951), p31
Mursell, James, et.al.(eds.) / Music Now and Long Ago, Silver Burdette, Bk (1956), p 94
Glazer, Tom / Treasury of Songs for Children, Songs Music, Fol (1981/1964), p 38
Leisy, James F. (ed.) / Folk Song Abecedary, Bonanza, Bk (1966), p 32
Herder, Ronald (ed.) / 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, Dover dn500/500, Sof (1998), p 37
Brand, Oscar / Folk Songs for Fun, Berkeley Medallion, Sof (1961), p 92
Silverman, Jerry / How to Play Guitar, Doubleday, Sof (1968), p 73
Leach, MacEdward / The Heritage Book of Ballads, Heritage, Bk (1967), p 6
Pankake, Marcia and Jon / Prarie Home Companion Folk Song Book, Faber, sof (1989/1988), p267 [1983-87]
Allen, Ella Kate. Solomon, Jack & Olivia (eds.) / Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p 38 [1960ca]
Baby Sitters. Folk Songs for Babies, Small Children, Baby Sitte, Vanguard VRS 9042, LP (1967), trk# B.06
Boren, Curt. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p392/#104D [1932/12/17]
Bostwick, Ed. Scarborough, Dorothy(ed.) / A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, AMS, Bk (1966/1937), p297,435 [1930]
Broyles, Gladys. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p487/#168D [1916ca]
Brumley, Bill. Albert E. Brumley's Songs of the Pioneers #2, Brumley, fol (1973), 49
Buckner, Sarah. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p 38/# 89B [1916/09/19] (My Billy Boy)
Carthy, Martin. Sweet Wivelsfield, Rounder 3020, LP (1974), trk# 2
Cox, John Harrington. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p532/#168 [1920ca]
Devlin, Jennie Hess. Newman, Katharine D. / Never Without a Song, U. Illinois, Sof (1995), p154 [1937ca]
Donovan Family. Traveling People of Ireland, Lyrichord LLST 7178, LP (1967), trk# A.08
Gentry, Jane Hicks. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p 38/# 89A [1916/09/16] (My Billy Boy)
Gentry, Jane Hicks. Smith, Betty N. / Jane Hicks Gentry. A Singer Among Singers, U. Ky, Sof (1998), p171/#31 [1916/09/16] (My Boy Billy)
Gloucester Hornpipe and Clog Society. Gloucester Hornpipe and Clog Society, Fiddlin' Whale, LP (197?), trk# B.03
Grey, Mrs. Lawson. Sharp & Karpeles / English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians II, Oxford, Bk (1932/1917), p 39/# 89C [1918/06/06] (My Billy Boy)
Hubbard, Elizabeth Wheeler. Linscott, Eloise Hubbard (ed.) / Folk Songs of Old New England, Dover, Bk (1993/1939), p166 [1920-30s]
Hubbard, Salley A.. Hubbard, Lester A. / Ballads and Songs from Utah, Univ. of Utah, Bk (1961), p375/#197A [1946/11/15]
Hull, S. F.. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p484/#168A [1916/01/19]
Ives, Burl. Ballads, United Artists UAL 3060, LP (1959), trk# A.03 (Willie Boy)
Ives, Burl. Ives, Burl / Burl Ives Song Book, Ballantine Books, Bk (1953), p190
Ives, Burl. Ives, Burl / Burl Ives Song Book, Ballantine Books, Bk (1953), p192
Jensen, Elisabeth. Hubbard, Lester A. / Ballads and Songs from Utah, Univ. of Utah, Bk (1961), p376/#197B [1947/08/02]
Kincaid, Bradley. Bradley Kincaid, Volume 1, Old Homestead OHCS 314, LP (1984/1963), trk# A.02 [1963/07ca]
Lain, Myrtle. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p392/#104C [1930/02/14]
Langstaff, John. Water Is Wide. American and British Ballads and Folksongs, Revels 2202, CD (2002), trk# 8 [1959]
Langstaff, John. Songs for Singing Children, Revels CH 1086, LP (1986/1962), trk# A.10 (My Billy Boy)
Lea, Terrea. Folk Songs & Ballads, HiFiRecord R-404, LP (195?), trk# A.05 (My Boy Willie)
Lomax Family. Lomax, Alan / Penguin Book of American Folk Songs, Penguin, sof (1969/1964), p 68/# 48
McAtee, Nancy McDonald. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p485/#168B [1916]
McClellan, Mrs. C. S.. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p420/#222 [1934-39]
McCurdy, Ed. Best of Ed McCurdy, Tradition TLP 2051, LP (196?), trk# 7
McCurdy, Ed. Children's Songs, Tradition TLP 1027, LP (1958), trk# A.01
McDowell, Louise. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p393/#104G [1941/08/19]
Morris, Lucile. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p393/#104E [1934/10/28]
Munde, Alan. Frets (Magazine), Frets, Ser, 1983/03,p52
Okun, Milt. Merry Ditties, Riverside RLP 12-603, LP (1955), trk# B.05
Otto, Julia. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs of the South, Dover, Sof (1967/1925), p486/#168C [1916ca]
Owens, William A.. Owens, William A. (ed.) / Texas Folk Songs. 2nd edition, SMU Press, Bk (1976/1950), p 10 [1950s]
Payne, Frank. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p391/#104A [1933/09/03]
Richmond, James T.. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p392/#104B [1930/08/24]
Ritchie, Jean; and Oscar Brand. Shivaree!, Esoteric ES-538, LP (1955), trk# B.06 (My Boy Billy)
Ritchie, Jean; and Oscar Brand. Courting and Riddle Songs, Washington WLP 706, LP (1956ca), trk# B.08
Roberts, Stella. Scarborough, Dorothy(ed.) / A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, AMS, Bk (1966/1937), p298 [1930]
Sager, Ernie. Cazden, Norman (ed.) / Merry Ditties, Bonanza Books, Bk (1958), p 28
Shellenbarger, Ava. Pound, Louise (ed.) / American Ballads and Songs, Scribner, Sof (1972/1922), p231/#113 [1911]
Short, Mrs. Leonard. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume I, British Ballads and Songs, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p393/#104F [1940/03/31]
Tatro, Mrs. Geroge. Flanders, Helen H. & George Brown / Vermont Folk Songs and Ballads, Folklore Associates, Bk (1968/1931), p162 [1930/11/17]
Tenenbaum, Molly. And the Hillsides Are All Covered with Cakes, Cat Hair, Cas (1994), trk# 8
Teudt, Thelma Clark. Hubbard, Lester A. / Ballads and Songs from Utah, Univ. of Utah, Bk (1961), p376/#197C [1947/11/07]
Welch, Lizzie (Miss). Reeves, James (ed.) / Idiom of the People, Norton, Sof (1958), p 75/# 12 [1904]
Billy Boy (Parody) - Hays, Lee/Seeger, Pete/Traditional

Pd - Billy Boy
Almanac Singers and Josh White. That's Why We're Marching. World War II and the American Folk..., Smithsonian/Folkways SF 40021, CD (1996), trk# 4

Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music

Billy Boy
[Roud 326; Ballad Index R104 ; trad.]

Bod Davenport sang Billy Boy in 1964 on the Topic anthology Farewell Nancy which was reissued with bonus tracks in 1993 as the CD Blow the Man Down. A.L. Lloyd commented in the album's liner notes:

Sailors were likely to adapt any sort of song for their own purpose—“nigger minstrel” songs, hymns, even nursery rhymes. Billy Boy first appeared in print as a sentimental song, My Boy Tammy, in 1791, and we're told that an Edinburgh actress of the time, Miss Duncan, made a big hit with it. Various nursery parodies, all more or less daft, quickly appeared. Some of these drifted aboard ship and got back into adult currency as work songs. On account of its opening line, some learned men have associated Billy Boy with Lord Randall. The evidence is slender.

Martin Carthy sang Billy Boy on his 1974 album Sweet Wivelsfield and reissued on Rigs of the Time. He sang it also on the Wood—Wilson—Carthy CD. Martin Carthy commented in the original album's sleeve notes:

The words of Billy Boy come from James Reeves' The Everlasting Circle and the tune from the magnificent Mrs Marina Russell of Upwey, Dorset whose predilection for tunes in the Dorian mode, whilst being a delight to people like me, is probably a source of some annoyance to those academics who like to say the English, as a race, like this or that kind of a tune (and make charts to prove it). She was one of Sharp's more extraordinary 'finds' in his hunt for traditional song, music and dance, being by all accounts an incredibly gifted and inventive singer (and person). From her also, comes Mary Neal of which she had three verses, so I took the liberty of filling it out from other printed sources.

and in the Wood—Wilson—Carthy sleeve notes:

When the Dorset singer Mrs Marina Russell sang Billy Boy to the Hammond brothers in the early years of the century, (she actually sang Bonny Lad Highland Lad), she gave them just the last verse with its little numbers game at the end. You too can add up the numbers to find that they make three score and ten, or one complete life span. Sometimes even the apparently lightweight songs reveal an intriguing depth, but then she had an intriguing repertoire.

Eliza Carthy sang and played a very similar version of Billy Boy on her 1998 album Red, followed by the tune The Widow's Wedding. This track was reissued in 2003 on Eliza's anthology The Definitive Collection.

The Witches of Elswick sang Billy Boy in 2005 on their second and last album, Out of Bed. They commented in their liner notes:

The prequel to Lord Randall? This popular song can be traced back to a Northumbrian sea shanty. Bry found this version in a selection of songs collected by Vaughan Williams but no detail was given about its origins. Gillian thinks that the verse about the plate of fish is a bit mucky.

Martin Carthy sings Billy Boy

“Where have you been all the day, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Where have you been all the day, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“Oh I have been all the day walking with a lady gay,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

“Is she fitting for your wife, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Is she fitting for your wife, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“She's as fit to be me wife as the heart is to the knife,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

“And did she ask you to sit down, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you to sit down, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“Well she asked me to sit down then she curtsied to the ground,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

“Did she light you up to bed, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Did she light you up to bed, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“Yes she lit me up to bed with a nodding of her head,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

“Did she lie so close to you, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Did she lie so close to you, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“Yes she lay so close to me as the bark is to the tree,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

“Do you want to know her age, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Do you want to know her age, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“She is twice six seven, she is twice twenty and eleven,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

Eliza Carthy sings Billy Boy
“Where have you been all the day, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Where have you been all the day, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“I've been out all the day walking with a lady gay,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

“Is she fit for your wife, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Is she fit for your wife, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“She's as fit to be my wife as the heart is to the knife,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

“Did she light you up to bed, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Did she light you up to bed, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“Well she lit me up to bed with a nodding of her head,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

“Did she lie close to you, bonny boy, Billy Boy?
Did she lie close to you, O my dear darling Billy O?”
“Well she lay so close to me as the bark is to the tree,
Isn't she a young thing lately from her mummy O?”

The Witches of Elswick sing Billy Boy

“Oh, where have you been all the day, my boy Billy?
Oh, here have you been all the day? Bonny Billy, tell me.”
“I have tell you where I've been all day,
I've been courting with a lady gay,
But she is too young to be taken from her mummy.”

“Oh, can she bake and can she brew, my boy Billy?
Oh, can she bake and can she brew? Bonny Billy, tell me.”
“Yes, she can brew and she can bake,
Why, she can make fine wedding cake,
But she is too young to be taken from her mummy.”

“Oh, can she cook a plate of fish, my boy Billy?
Oh, can she cook a plate of fish? Bonny Billy, tell me.”
“Yes, she can cook a plate of fish
And wipe her fingers round the dish,
But she is too young to be taken from her mummy.”

“Oh, can she sow and can she spin, my boy Billy?
Oh, can she sow and can she spin? Bonny Billy, tell me.”
“Yes, she can sow and she can spin,
Why, she can make most anything,
But she is too young to be taken from her mummy.”

“Then she can make a feather bed, my boy Billy?
Then she can make a feather bed? Bonny Billy, tell me.”
“Yes, she can make a feather bed
As fit for anyone man's head,
But she is too young to be taken from her mummy.”

“But is she fit to be your wife, my boy Billy?
But is she fit to be your wife? Bonny Billy, tell me.”
“Yes, she's as fit to be my wife
As my pocket's fit to hold my knife,
But she is too young to be taken from her mummy.”

“But how old, tell me, might she be, my boy Billy?
Then how old, tell me, might she be ? Bonny Billy, tell me.”
“She is one, she is two, twice eleven, twenty-two,
But she's still too young to be taken from her mummy,
But she is too young to be taken from her mummy.”