Weepin Willer, The/The Miller’s Daughter

AKAThe Weeping miller
Down by the Riverside
The Drooping Willow
LyricsHarry CliftonMusicHarry Clifton RoudRN6785
Music Hall Performers Harry Clifton
Folk performancesSource singers
Mrs Duncan, Yr?, Scotland
Mr Hole, 1904, Somerset
Down by the countryside
Lives old Gray the Miller,
Down by the side of
The millstream tide,
Grows a weepin' willer,
Under the Willer tree
Sat the Miller's daughter,
Singin' a song and gazin' long
Into the bubblin' water — Liquid —

She sat by the side of the bubblin' water,
Under the Weepin' Willer Tree.

Tears fell from her eyes,
Hands she was a wringin'
First she cries, and then she sighs
And then commenc'd a singin'
"All the world's a waste."
Life to me is "Ojous"
Since William he deserted me,
And went and joined the "sojers" — Army —

Then from her bosom she drew
A piece of needle cover,
And on it wrote a very short note
To her deceitful lover,
"Take this to William Phipps
Straight to him be tellin'
His Susan died thro' Suicide.
P.S. Please excuse bad spellin' — Orthography —

She look'd at the thimble case,
Which William false had bought her,
She look'd to the right, she look'd to the left,
And then look'd into the water,
Then she did prepare,
Her mortal life to injure.
Her head was bare, and the colour of her hair
Was a sort of delicate ginger — Auburn —

She look'd at the Willer above,
And said "I'll hang in my garter,
But what a mistake, if the garter break,
I shall be drowned in the water,
She look'd at the water below,
And her nerves began to totter,
"I'm not very bold, and I may take cold,
I'll wait till the weather is hotter — Milder —

She rose and dried her tears,
And said since he's a rover
I will not mind, but try and find,
Some more faithful lover,
If one I cannot find,
To me it's very funny
As Love is blind, I'm half inclin'd,
To marry a man for money — Rhino —

Written and performed by Harry Clifton, published in 1864. I at first thought the words included what may be indications of singing style: although I’m not sure what “orthography” or “rhino” (slang for money), might mean in this context! More likely, perhaps, that these are comic asides to the audience?

Collected from at least two source singers, one in Scotland, and one in England: Cecil Sharp himself collected it from the singing of “Mr Hole”, first giving it the title Down by the riverside, but later amending to The Miller’s Daughter. It appears in several 19th century broadsides but I haven’t found recorded as appearing in any songbooks.

I have had a couple of emails about this song. Vic Gammon tells me that Lucky Luckhurst, a regular at Swindon folk club performed this song, as does Will Duke. Martin Graebe wrote to me to let me know he sings a version of the song which he found in The Oxford Book of Light Verse (1938) where it appeared under the title The Drooping Willow. He set the verse to his own tune, here’s Martin singing it:

Martin Graebe: The Drooping Willow

Sources:

Last Updated on January 30, 2021 by John Baxter | Published: May 23, 2020

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