Martinmas Time

Well this year is full of grand coincidences!

"The feast of St. Martin falls upon this day though it is far better known here as remembrance Sunday. This song has little to do with the celebration as it tells of a young woman of herself outwitting a group of soldiers who are out after her maidenhead by little more than a bit of cross dressing!

I particularly love how this particular version of the story skips over the woman's distress in verse 2 and revels in her trickery later on in the song, particularly her brashness stepping closer and closer to the barracks. The final chase and cry compounds the soldiers efforts without making the lady looking sneaky: just smart.

This recording is sung by Rose Lippard with me noodling behind. We, like most of the folk community were struck by Anne Briggs' singing of this, a version that she was given by Bert Lloyd that he in turn had compiled through several different versions and tunes"

Tim

It fell upon the Martinmas time, 
When the snow lay on the border
There came a troop of soldiers here
To take up their winter quarters.

Ch: With me right fol-lay-dle li-dle ly-la da-dee-o
With me right fol-lay-dle li-dle lar-ry.

They rode up and they rode down, and
They rode over the border.
There they met a fair pretty girl
And she was a farmer's daughter.

Ch:

They made her swear a solemn oath
and salt tear in her eye, oh,
That she would call at their quarter gates
When no-one did her spy, oh.

Ch:

So she goes to the barber shop
To the barber shop went soon, oh,
She's made them cut her fine yellow hair
As short as any dragoon, oh.

Ch:

Then she goes to the tailor shop
And dresses in soldier's clothes, oh,
A pair of pistols down her side
And a nice little boy was she, oh.

Ch:

When she comes to the quarter gates,
It's loud, loud she did call, oh,
"There comes a troop of soldiers here
And we must have lodgings all, oh!"

Ch:

The quartermaster he comes out
He gives her half a crown, oh,
"Go and find lodgings for yourself,
For here there is no room, oh."

Ch:

But she drew nearer to the gates
And louder did she call, oh:
"Room, room, you gentlemen,
We must have lodgings all, oh!"

Ch:

The quartermaster he comes out
He gives her eighteen pence, oh
"Go and find lodgings in the town
For tonight there comes a wench, oh."

Ch:

She's pulled the garters from he legs
The ribbons from her hair, oh,
She's tied them 'round the quarter gates
As a token she'd been there, oh.

Ch:

She drew a whistle from her side,
And blew it loud and shrill, oh
"You're all very free with your eighteen pence
But you're not for a girl at all, oh."

Ch:

And when they knew that it was her
They tried to overtake her.
She's clapped her spurs to the horse's side
And she's galloped home a maiden.

Ch: