{"id":3119,"date":"2020-05-23T10:54:28","date_gmt":"2020-05-23T10:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=3119"},"modified":"2021-01-30T16:56:37","modified_gmt":"2021-01-30T16:56:37","slug":"the-weepin-willer-the-millers-daughter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/the-weepin-willer-the-millers-daughter\/","title":{"rendered":"Weepin Willer, The\/The Miller’s Daughter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>The Weeping miller
Down by the Riverside
The Drooping Willow<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lyrics<\/strong><\/td>Harry Clifton<\/td>Music<\/strong><\/td>Harry Clifton <\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN6785<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td> Harry Clifton<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Source singers<\/strong>
Mrs Duncan, Yr?, Scotland
Mr Hole, 1904, Somerset
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Down by the countryside\nLives old Gray the Miller,\nDown by the side of\nThe millstream tide,\nGrows a weepin' willer,\nUnder the Willer tree\nSat the Miller's daughter,\nSingin' a song and gazin' long\nInto the bubblin' water \u2014 Liquid \u2014<\/em>\n\nShe sat by the side of the bubblin' water,\nUnder the Weepin' Willer Tree.<\/em>\n\nTears fell from her eyes,\nHands she was a wringin'\nFirst she cries, and then she sighs\nAnd then commenc'd a singin'\n\"All the world's a waste.\"\nLife to me is \"Ojous\"\nSince William he deserted me,\nAnd went and joined the \"sojers\" \u2014 Army \u2014<\/em>\n\nThen from her bosom she drew\nA piece of needle cover,\nAnd on it wrote a very short note\nTo her deceitful lover,\n\"Take this to William Phipps\nStraight to him be tellin'\nHis Susan died thro' Suicide.\nP.S. Please excuse bad spellin' \u2014 Orthography \u2014<\/em>\n\nShe look'd at the thimble case,\nWhich William false had bought her,\nShe look'd to the right, she look'd to the left,\nAnd then look'd into the water,\nThen she did prepare,\nHer mortal life to injure.\nHer head was bare, and the colour of her hair\nWas a sort of delicate ginger \u2014 Auburn \u2014<\/em>\n\nShe look'd at the Willer above,\nAnd said \"I'll hang in my garter,\nBut what a mistake, if the garter break,\nI shall be drowned in the water,\nShe look'd at the water below,\nAnd her nerves began to totter,\n\"I'm not very bold, and I may take cold,\nI'll wait till the weather is hotter \u2014 Milder \u2014<\/em>\n\nShe rose and dried her tears,\nAnd said since he's a rover\nI will not mind, but try and find,\nSome more faithful lover,\nIf one I cannot find,\nTo me it's very funny\nAs Love is blind, I'm half inclin'd,\nTo marry a man for money \u2014 Rhino \u2014<\/em>\n\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Written and performed by Harry Clifton<\/a>, 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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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, <\/em>but later amending to The Miller’s Daughter<\/em>. It appears in several 19th century broadsides but I haven’t found recorded as appearing in any songbooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 <\/a><\/em>(1938) where it appeared under the title The Drooping Willow<\/em>. He set the verse to his  own tune, here’s Martin singing it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Martin Graebe: The Drooping Willow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n