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Billy Boy
Traditional Tune and Lyrics.
ARTIST: Billy Boy- Louise Massey & The Westerners-1939 Long time favorites of the WLS Barn Dance. Also appeared on NBC's "Plantation Party".
Group Members: Louise Massey Mabie; Milt Mabie; Curt Massey; Allen Massey
Larry Wellington
Listen: Billy Boy- Louise Massey & The Westerners-1939
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes. DATE: Melody dates back 1776; Collected in 1916.
RECORDING INFO: Carthy, Martin. Sweet Wivelsfield, Rounder 3020, LP (1974), cut# 2; Donovan Family. Traveling People of Ireland, Lyrichord LLST 7178, LP (1967), cut#A.08; Gloucester Hornpipe and Clog Society. Gloucester Hornpipe and Clog Society, Fiddlin' Whale, LP (197?), cut#B.03; Ives, Burl. Ballads, United Artists UAL 3060, LP (1959), cut#A.03 (Willie Boy); Kincaid, Bradley. Bradley Kincaid, Volume 1, Old Homestead OHCS-314, LP (1984), cut#A.02; Langstaff, John. John Langstaff Sings American and English Folk Songs and Ballads, Tradition TLP 1009, LP (196?), cut#B.02; McCurdy, Ed. Best of Ed McCurdy, Tradition TLP 1051, LP, cut# 7; McCurdy, Ed. Children's Songs, Tradition TLP 1027, LP (1958), cut#A.01; Ritchie, Jean; and Oscar Brand. Shivaree!, Esoteric ES-538, LP (1955), cut# 15 (My Boy Billy); Ritchie, Jean; and Oscar Brand. Courting and Riddle Songs, Washington WLP 706, LP (196?), cut#B.08; Tenenbaum, Molly. And the Hillsides Are All Covered with Cakes, Cat Hair, Cas (1994), cut# 8; Almanac Singers and Josh White. That's Why We're Marching. World War II and the American Folk..., Smithsonian/Folkways SF 40021, CD (1996), cut# 4;
OTHER NAMES: “My Boy Willie;” “Billie Boy,”
RELATED TO: "Walk Jaw Bone," "Green Mountain," "Cake's All Dough," "Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe," "Uncle Joe," "Hop Light/High Ladies," "Miss McLeod's Reel."
SOURCES: From American Ballads and Folk Songs, pp. 320-322, "Billy Boy". American Ballads and Folk Songs, MacMillan, Bk (1934), p.320; Allen, Ella Kate. Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Colonial Press, Bk (1991), p 38; American Ballads and Songs, Scribners, Sof (1972/1922), p231; Bronson (12); Randolph 104, "Billy Boy;" Eddy 38, "Billy Boy;" Wyman-Brockway I, p. 14, "Billie Boy"; Sharp-100E 58, "My Boy Willie"; Lomax-ABFS, pp. 320-322, "Billy Boy"; LPound-ABS, 113, pp. 231-232, "Billy Boy"; JHCox 168, "Billy Boy"; Pankake-PHCFSB, p. 267, "Billy Boy"
Traditional Ballad Notes: 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 (25 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)
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
NOTES: The 1939 recording featuring some hot jazz solos and a vocal duet is by Louise Massey & The Westerners who were long time favorites of the WLS Barn Dance. Also appeared on NBC's "Plantation Party".
Group Members: Louise Massey Mabie; Milt Mabie; Curt Massey; Allen Massey
Larry Wellington
Considered by some to be a version of Lord Randal, Child #12. Billy Boy has been a favorite square dance tune and fiddle tune.
BILLY BOY- Louise Massey & The Westerners
Listen: Billy Boy- Louise Massey & The Westerners-1939
Louise Massey: Oh where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh where have you been, charming Billy?
Male lead: I have been to see my girl and my head is in a whirl,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.
Louise Massey: Did she ask you in, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you in, charming Billy?
Male lead: Yes, she asked me in, with a dimple in her chin,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother!
Louise Massey: Can she play that old guitar, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she play that old guitar, charming Billy?
Male lead: Oh yes, she play that old guitar, *and with it she'll go far,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother!
[guitar solo]
Louise Massey: Did take her for a ride, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you in, charming Billy?
Male lead: Yes, I took her for a ride, and stayed right by her side
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother!
[guitar solo]
Louise Massey: Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
*Can she bake a cherry pie, charming Billy?
She can bake a cherry pie, quick as a cat can blink an eye,
She's be darlin' oh so darlin' charling Billy.
*unclear
BILLY BOY- Standard Lyrics
Where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Where have you been, charming Billy?
I've been down the lane to see Miss Betsy Jane,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Where does she live, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Where does she live, charming Billy?
She lives on the hill, forty miles from the mill,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Did she ask you in, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you in, charming Billy?
Yes, she asked me in with a dimple in her chin,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Did she take your hat, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she take your hat, charming Billy?
Yes, she took my hat and she threw it at the cat,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Did she set you a chair, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she set you a chair, charming Billy?
Yes she set me a chair, but the bottom wasn't there,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
How old is she, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How old is she, charming Billy?
Twice six, twice seven, three times twenty and eleven,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
How tall is she, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How tall is she, charming Billy?
She's tall as a pine and straight as a vine,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she fry a dish of meat, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she fry a dish of meat, charming Billy?
Yes, she can fry a dish of meat as fast as you can eat,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she make a loaf of bread, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a loaf of bread, charming Billy?
She can make a loaf of bread with her nightcap on her head,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she bake a cherry pie, charming Billy?
She can bake a cherry pie, in the twinkling of an eye,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she bake a punkin well, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she bake a punkin well, charming Billy?
She can bake a punkin well, you can tell it by its smell,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she sew and can she fell, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she sew and can she fell, charming Billy?
She can sew and she can fell, she can use her needle well
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she make a pair of breeches, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a pair of breeches, charming Billy?
She can make a pair of breeches fast as you can count the stitches
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she make a feather bed, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a feather bed, charming Billy?
She can make a feather bed that will rise above your head
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she milk a muley cow, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she milk a muley cow, charming Billy?
She can milk a muley cow if her mammy shows her how
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Is she fitted for your wife, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Is she fitted for your wife, charming Billy?
She's fitted for my wife as my pocket for my knife,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Did she sit close to you, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she sit close to you, charming Billy?
Yes, she sat as close to me as the bark upon a tree,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Did you ask her to wed, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did you ask her to wed, charming Billy?
Yes, I asked her to wed, and this is what she said,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she milk a heifer calf, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she milk a heifer calf, charming Billy?
Yes, and not miss the bucket more than half,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she feed a sucking pig, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she feed a sucking pig, charming Billy?
Yes, as fast as you can jig,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Can she pull the sheet away, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she pull the sheet away, charming Billy?
No, that's a game my wife can't play,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Are her eyes dark brown, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Are her eyes dark brown, charming Billy?
Yes, she was raised out of town,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
Is she very, very fair, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Is she very, very fair, charming Billy?
Oh yes, she's fair, just touch her if you dare,
She's a young thing and cannot leave her mammy!
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