9A. I Love my Love (As I Cam' Owre Yon High, High Hill) Roud 5548 [see also Roving Bachelor]
A. "I Love my Love," dated c. 1870 as sung by Margaret Gillespie; collected Duncan on September 2, 1909, version A. The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection which was collected by Rev. Duncan from his sister, Mrs. Margaret Gillespie (1841-1910) later of Glasgow.
B. "As I Cam' Owre Yon High High Hill"
a. From Ord in his Bothy Songs and Ballads, no informant named but by Bell Robertson.
b. Sung by Bell Roberston (1841-1922) of New Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire. The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection, version B. Collected in c.1906 but much older, dated c.1860.
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[This rare Scottish dialogue ballad has the "I Love my Love" chorus and the dialogue stanzas in the form of the questions posed in "The Roving Bachelor" (Roud 1649). The series of related questions are similar to those posed in the "Seventeen Come Sunday" ballads [hereafter "Seventeen"]. Of the two extant versions of "I Love my Love," one is also composite with "Seventeen." Although the courting questions are similar, at least one question, "Will you take a man?" is held in common. Since the same or similar questions are asked in some versions[1] of "The Roving Bachelor" (Roud 1649), the possibility exists that the two similar Scottish courting ballads, "Seventeen" and "Roving Bachelor," may have borrowed the question stanzas from each other or had a common ancestor[2]. Because Bell Roberson's version titled "As I Cam' Owre Yon High, High Hill," has the opening and ending stanzas of the Scottish versions of "Seventeen," I'm including "I Love my Love" as an appendix to "Seventeen" realizing that it may also be considered an appendix of the "Wanton Lad/Roving Bachelor" songs. The questions posed in "I Love my Love" are specific to the "Wanton Lad/Roving Bachelor" songs even though the "Will you take a man?" question is held in common[3].
The two extant versions with the "I Love my Love" chorus were collected by Grieg and Duncan in the early 1900s but are obviously much older. Greig-Duncan B, taken from Bell Roberston is titled "As I Cam' Owre Yon High, High Hill," and uses the opening the later tradition Scottish stanza from "Seventeen Come Sunday." Robertson's chorus appears:
CHORUS: But I love my love and I love my love,
And I love my love most dearly
My whole delight's in her bonnie face,
And I long to have her near me.
Here's the first version[4] from The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection which was collected by Rev. Duncan from his sister, Mrs. Margaret Gillespie (1841-1910) later of Glasgow. It's date is estimated at c.1870 but it may be older.
I Love my Love- sung by Margaret Gillespie; collected Duncan on September 2, 1909, version A.
CHORUS: I love my love as I love my life,
An' I love my love most dearly
My whole delight's in her well- faured face,
An' I long to have her near me.
The first thing I asked of her,
Where did her father dwell, O
And the answer she gae to me,
Was, "Between the cloods and hell, O."
CHORUS:
The next thing I asked of her,
Was, if she wad tak a man,
And the answer that she gave to me,
Was, "Files [sometimes] noo and than, O."
CHORUS:
The next thing I asked at her,
If she wad marry me,
And the answer she gae to me,
"I think I'm better free, O."
CHORUS:
A second version from Bell Robertson with text borrowed from "Seventeen" was first published by Ord with the "As I Cam' Owre Yon High High Hill" title in his Bothy Songs and Ballads in 1930. Ord does not name the informant but it's clearly the same text as Grieg B, as taken from Bell Robertson about 1906. The first stanza is the same as the Scottish versions of "Seventeen," and bears the same title.
As I Cam' Owre Yon High High Hill
1. As I cam' owre yon high, high hill,
I met a bonnie lassie,
She looked at me and I at her,
And wow, but she looked saucy.
CHORUS: But I love my love and I love my love,
And I love my love most dearly
My whole delight's in her bonnie face,
And I long to have her near me.
2. The first thing I asked of her,
What was her father's name?
But the answer she gave to me,
"Ye're a curious man to ken."
CHORUS:
3. The next thing I asked of her,
Did he live here about?
And the answer she gave to me,
"His peat-stack stand thereout."
CHORUS:
4. The next thing I asked of her,
Gin she wad take a man,
But the answer she gave to me,
"'Tis nocht but what I can."
CHORUS:
5. The next thing I asked of her,
Gin wad she marry me?,
But the answer she gave to me,
"If you and I agree."
CHORUS:
6. Then fare ye weel, mu bonnie lass,
May joy and peace be wi' ye,
And ye'll be on a better tune,
When I come back to see ye.
LAST CHORUS: But I love her yet, I love her yet,
I love her yet most dearly
My whole delight's in her bonnie face,
And I long to have her near me.
Bell's last stanza is also part of the Scottish "Seventeen" tradition. Her stanza 1 and 6 are from "Seventeen" and the question in stanza 3 is similar. The question stanzas of "I Love my Love," found similarly in "Seventeen," are found exactly in "Wanton Lad," and at the end of the Crawfurd version of "Roving Bachelor." The following version of "Roving Bachelor" collected by Crawfurd[5] was taken from John Smith of Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire in 1827. Since Smith married in 1783 this version probably dates back to the late 1700s[6]. The questions begin with stanza 9.
THE OLD BACHELOR
1 I am a man unmarried
And has been all my life
Now I am resolved
For to go seek a wife
2 Such a wife I must have
Is scarce for to be found
And such a wife I must have
Scarce walks upon the ground
3 A bonnie a braw wife
A wife with meikle gear
If I dinna get a bonnie wife
I'll want another year
4 A bonnie wife if she be na gude
She is gude companie
And if she be gude
Slio is pleasant to the ee
5 If I marry a tall one
I am sure she'll crack my crown
And little women is peevish
They'll pull a strong man doun
6 If I marry a black one
The lads will laugh at me
And if I marry a fair one
A cuckle I am sure to be
7 If I marry a young one
She'll ruin me with pride
And if I marry an old one
8 But as I was musing Mark
what came to pass
In my sight appeared
A handsome tall young lass
9 The first question that I speired at her
What was her name
The answer she gave to me
Was modesty and fame
10 The next question that I asked her
If she was a maid
And the answer that she gave to me
I was once what you said
11 The next question that I asked her
If she was one just now
And the answer she gave to me
And I may be one for you.
12 The next question that I asked her
If she wad take a man
And the answer she gave to me
A little now and then
13 The next question that I asked her
If she wad marry me
And the answer that she gave to me
It's no be what may be
14 The green it is a bonny thing
Till ance it gets a dip
And he that courts a bonnie lass
Is sure to get the slip.
The same tune was used by Robert Burns for his "Handsome Nell," a tribute to Nelly Kilpatrick, daughter of a farmer near Dalrymple. Burns says the tune is "I Am A Man Unmarried (Old Bachelor)." From the Scots (Johnson's) musical Museum Volume VI, song 551, page 570, here is the opening stanza of 'O once I lov'd':
'O once I lov'd a bonnie lass,
An' aye I love her still
an' whilst that virtue warms my breast
I'll love my handsome Nell.'
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Steve Roud has added "Ruck a Juck" from the James Madison Carpenter Collection and "Wanton Lad" C from Greig-Duncan to Roud 5528. Since both do not have the required "I Love My Love" chorus, they should be considered variants of "Roving Bachelor" which is Roud 1649. In principle, versions of "Roving Bachelor" cannot be versions of "Seventeen Come Sunday," they are different songs. It's possible to consider "I Love My Love" to be an appendix of "Roving Bachelor" as the questions posed are from the same source.
Since "Seventeen," "I Love My Love" and "Roving Bachelor" have the "Will you take a man?" stanza in common, there is some relatedness. "Seventeen" and versions of "Roving Bachelor" with the dialogue questions[7] are similar but different songs that perhaps share a common Scottish ancestry from the early 1700s. Some later English and Irish versions of "Roving Bachelor" including broadsides also have the courting questions.
Bell Robertson's "I Love My Love," my B, is very close to "Seventeen." Since Bell knew both the Scottish version of Seventeen, "Waukrife Mammy" and "I Love My Love" it clear that her version of "I Love My Love," is imbued with the essence of Waukrife Mammy, however, it is a different song. Bell's "I Love My Love," is a composite with "Seventeen" and "Roving Bachelor." Steve Gardham concurs[8] that Bell's version "seems to be a later rewrite [of Seventeen]." He also agrees that the courting questions in "I Love My love" are the same as those posed in "The Roving Bachelor" (Roud 1649).
R. Matteson 2018
Port St. Lucie, FL]
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Footnotes:
1. I have not studied the "Roving Bachelor" (Roud 1649) ballads in detail-- a number of different texts are attached to that title including a print from 1690, which is a different song: "The Indifferent Lover, Or, The Roving Batchelor: To a Pleasant New Tune Sung in the last new Comedy called Amphytrion Or, Fond Boy" by Charles Bates at the White-Hart in West Smithfield. I am referring only to the Roving Bachelor versions with the similar dialogue questions posed at the end of the ballad which are Roud 1649. William Walker's "Wanton Lad" (Greig-Duncan C) from the late 1800s is also very similar to "I Love my Love" except it has a different chorus. "Wanton Lad" is a version of "Roving Bachelor."
2. Since the ballads are quite different except for the questions, it's more likely these are just common courting questions than the ballads being sprung from a common ancestor.
3. Although the "Will you take a man" question is the same, the answer is different and the stanza is not identical.
4. Although the A version is listed first, I consider Roberston's version to be slightly older.
5. From Andrew Crawfurd's Collection of Ballads and Songs: edited E. B. Lyle; Edinburgh: Scottish Text Society, 1975.
6. It's dated c.1780 by Steve Gardham.
7. There are different ballads titled "Roving Bachelor."
8. Gardham is quoted from a personal email dated February 2018. Later he compared Roud 5528 and Roud 1649.
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Additional Texts (ref. Roud 5528):
Wanton Lad (variant of Roving Bachelor) sent from William Walker to Child in Cambridge, Massachusetts whop received it 17th March, 1891. [Ref. and text: "The Bedesman and the Hodbearer: The Epistolary Friendship of Francis. . ." Francis James Child, William Walker, Mary Ellen Brown. This version is missing a partial stanza (See Greig Duncan C) ]
The Wanton Lad
I've been a wanton
A wanton a' my life
And I am resolved
To go and seek a wife
[missing, unknown syllable chorus (See Greig Duncan C)]
The first thing that I asked her
Wad I convey her hame
The answer that she gaed to me
I wish to walk my lane
The next thing that I asked her
Was gin she was a maid
An' the answer that she gave to me
I once was one she said
The next thing that I asked her
Was she a maid just noo,
The answer that she gave to me
I'm sure I'm one for you.
The next thing that I asked her,
Was where did she dwell,
An' the answer that she gave me
Was, atween Heaven and Hell.
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From collector: Carpenter, James Madison;
sung by John Sutherland of Caithness, Latheron, Scotland. Date collected: 1929c-1935c;
Ruck a Juck[1]
First I was a gentleman
and then I was a grieve [2]
Then I got my dogs to keep
And then I got my leave.
CHORUS: To my ruck a juck a juck a doo
Too roo roo a raddle
To my ruck a juck a juck a doo
Then I met a fair maid.
The first question I asked of her,
If she was a maid?
And the answer that she gave to me,
"I once was what you said."
The next question I asked of her,
If she was a maid just now?
And the answer that she gave to me,
"I'm quite the maid for you."
The next question I asked of her,
If she would take a man?
And the answer that she gave to me,
"I'll take him now and then."
1. also is spelled "rook a jook"
2. A grieve is a farm overseer/manager for a gentleman farmer who had a biggish farm and left the everyday running of employees to the grieve.