Today, I wanted to share a song. It's one I remember from my primary school days when once a week we would gather round the radio to learn traditional folk songs. This one is called "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies" and many believe that it originated in The Scottish Borders
It is very likely that you have heard the song before - or snatches of it at least for it spread across the English speaking world. There was something about the song that drew listeners in and it probably still does that.
There are many versions of this song on good ol' "YouTube". I clicked on plenty of them before deciding to share a version by Asha Elijah. Visually this is a very odd video so you might wish to close your eyes while listening to it. Asha may have a good voice but his dancing leaves a lot to be desired.
It's a song about the dangers that passing strangers might represent and it's a song about the pursuit of happiness which might not be connected with material wealth. There's possibly a mystical element too - as if the lady in the song was somehow enchanted.
Some versions emphasise that the gypsies are plural and that's how I remember the song from my village school days but various other versions portray the raggle taggle gypsy as a singular threat.
Telling me to close my eyes for the video guaranteed I watched it. I guess he's not really a film kind of guy :)
ReplyDeleteI tried to find out more about Asha Elijah who has one or two other names but pretty much failed.
DeleteIt's new to me.
ReplyDeleteYou could spend an entire day listening to other versions of the song.
DeleteI like The Waterboys version. Great band. I once saw them at Glastonbury in 1989.
ReplyDeleteI nearly posted their version instead of Asha Elijah's.
DeleteI've never heard this song before. When I was very little, (I mean young, I'm still short) I wanted to be a gypsy and live in a caravan, going from place to place.
ReplyDeleteIf you dress up like a gypsy you can dance along Elsie. When I was a boy a gypsy troop passed through our village twice a year - no motor vehicles, just horses and wooden caravans. They did not look like us.
DeleteI don't think it was an Australian thing. Like River, I romanticised when I was young about living in a colourful caravan, always with a smoking chimney, and roaming the countryside.
ReplyDeleteIt's not too late. You and Elsie (River) could team up and travel through south eastern Australia in a gypsy caravan but you would both have to dress as gypsies too.
DeleteYou made me laugh.
DeleteCan you dance like a gypsy Andrew? Don't forget your tambourine.
DeleteI've never heard this! I guess it never hit the top 10 in the USA.
ReplyDeleteNo - but as Mrs Moon suggests below it did seep into Appalachian folk singing and it has been covered by a good number of American artists.
DeleteLots of traditional songs from Scotland and England found their way to America with people who settled in the Appalachian area. Eventually some of these songs became intertwined with what we call bluegrass now. This song reminds me of that.
ReplyDeleteYour suspicion is spot on. The song has been in America for at least two hundred years and it has been performed by various American artists, bands, choirs etc.
DeleteNever heard of it. I'm afraid that I have no idea what the words are that he is singing.
ReplyDeleteIt did remind me that for Halloween each year, I would dress as either a gypsy or a hobo as those were the costumes we had in our costume box...
Three gypsies stood at the castle gate. They sang so high, they sang so low.
DeleteThe lady sate in her chamber late. Her heart it melted away as snow.
They sang so sweet, they sang so shrill. That fast her tears began to flow
And she lay down her silken gown, her golden rings and all her show.
She took it off her high-heeled shoes, a-made of Spanish leather-O
She would in the street in her bare, bare feet, all out in the wind and weather-O.
Saddle to me my milk white steed and go and fetch me my pony-O
That I may ride and seek my bride who's gone with the wraggle taggle gypsies-O!
He rode high and he rode low, he rode through woods and copses too
Until he came to an open field and there he espied his a-lady-O.
What makes you leave your house and land, your golden treasures for to go?
What makes you leave your new wedded lord, to follow the wraggle taggle gypsies-O?
What care I for my house and land? What care I for my treasures-O?
What care I for my new wedded lord? I'm off with the wraggle taggle gypsies-O!
Last night you slept on a goose-feathered bed, with the sheet turned down so bravely-O.
Tonight you sleep in a cold open field along with the wraggle taggle gypsies-O!
What care I for the goose-feathered bed with the sheet turned down so bravely-O?
Tonight I shall sleep in a cold open field along with the wraggle taggle gypsies-O!
I am sure that if I could hear it I would absolutely love it. Honestly.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could wave a magic wand and heal your deafness JayCee.
DeleteIt's a lovely song with a sad ending I'm guessing. I looked it up and in some of the versions the gypsies were killed and there was mention of a dule tree which sent me down another rabbit hole. I'd like to think we have progressed beyong dule trees but have we really?)
ReplyDeleteNot really. We imagine we are thoroughly civilised now but it is just a temporary illusion.
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