{"id":8984,"date":"2021-02-17T10:49:32","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T10:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=8984"},"modified":"2021-05-26T19:53:01","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T19:53:01","slug":"two-wenches-at-once","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/two-wenches-at-once\/","title":{"rendered":"Two wenches at once"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Betsy and Mary
Two sweethearts at once
The Sisters<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1826<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Thomas Hudson <\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN1318<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Thomas Hudson<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Fry, Edmund; England : Devon, no date
Harris, Charles; England : Wiltshire; 1914-16
Harris, Richard; England : Wiltshire; 1914-16<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From Thomas Hudson's 7th Collection of Comic Songs (1826)<\/strong> \nTUNE- Margery Topping<\/em>\n\nTill I fell in love I was happy enow,\nAt threshing or reaping, at harrow or plough,\nAt sunrise each morn wi' the lark i wur springing,\nAnd just like the lark I was always singing.\n\nTol de rol lol de rol lay<\/em>\n\nCupid, quite envious of my happy life,\nPut into my head that I wanted a wife,\n'Bout love and such like things completely a dunce,\nTill I fell slap in love wi' two wenches at once.\n\nThe miller's young daughter she gave the first twist,\nHer lips look'd as if they longed to be kiss'd,\nAnd whiles I gaz'd at her 'twixt love and surprise,\nI was fairly struck dumb by her sister's bright eyes.\n\nMary was as fair as an angel could be,\nEyes like sweet Betsy's I never did see,\nI tried all in vain my hot feelings to smother,\nBy looking at one first and then at the other.\n\nIf I went to see Mary, to her I was blind, \nFor Betsy directly came into my mind; \nAnd when I saw Betsy, 'twas just the contrary \u2013 \nI always sure to be thinking of Mary\n\nWhen Betsy looked at me, or when Mary smil'd,\nI felt of my senses completely beguil'd,\n'Twas all of no use, I looked this or that way,\nLike a donkey between two great bundles of hay.\n\nThings went on thus for five or six weeks,\nAnd I never could muster up courage to speak,\nWhen all of a sudden they both went to church,\nAnd left me a bachelor quite in the lurch.\n\nYoung men be advised, if love gets into your sconce,\nNever go courting two wenches at once,\nWith one lass you may work your way safe and sound\nBut between the two stools, all know what comes to the ground.<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A popular comic song from the 1820s and 30s, written by Thomas Hudson<\/a> and and performed by him in the singing taverns and supper clubs that influenced early Music Hall. Hudson published his songs in 13 collections between 1818 and 1832 –  he was keen to establish his rights of ownership, and there are several warnings to anyone who would dare pirate his songs. These warnings seem to have been almost completely ineffectual, as his songs were widely printed in “pirate” editions – broadsides and songbooks – throughout the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When song collectors like Alfred Williams and Sabine Baring Gould were searching for folksongs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a number of the traditional singers they collected from sang songs, like this one, originally written by Thomas Hudson. It seems likely that the songs were remembered as a result of both word-of-mouth and printed transmission\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original words as published by Hudson are given above – the chorus isn’t specified but when Alfred Williams collected it from the singing of Richard Harris, he sang it with the chorus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fal di lal riddle o! Fal di lal riddle to!
Fal di la right foe the riddle di dee.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n