{"id":18167,"date":"2022-12-06T15:56:57","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T15:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=18167"},"modified":"2024-03-16T16:02:45","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T16:02:45","slug":"im-a-young-man-from-the-country-but-you-dont-get-over-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/im-a-young-man-from-the-country-but-you-dont-get-over-me\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m a young man from the country – but you don’t get over me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>A young man from the country<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1865<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Harry Sydney \/ Thomas German Reed<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN1510<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Harry Sydney, W Randall<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Withers, Richard; England: Oxfordshire; 1909
Dann, Harvey M; USA; 1930
Poacher, Cyril; England: Suffolk; 1953<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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From original sheet music held in Victoria and Albert Museum<\/strong>\n[Written and sung by Harry Sydney, also sung by W Randall]\n\n[The original melody of this song is known as \"The young man from the country\" composed by German Reed Esq, and sung by Mrs C Reed in her entertainment....]\n\n1\nI'm a young man from the country,\nFrom Lancashire I came;\nA free and easy fellow\nThere's no need to tell my name, \nI know my way about a bit,\nWith both eyes I can I see\nI'm a young man from the country,\nBut you don't get over me.\n\nI'm a young man from the country,\nBut you don't get over me.<\/em>\n\n2\nI met my first temptation\nJust outside Euston Square\nA sharper near the station,\nWish'd me his crook to share.\nSuggested \"skittles\" but says I,\nHave which Green do you see\nI'm a young man from the country,\nBut you don't get over me.\n\nI'm a young man from the country,\nBut you don't get over me.<\/em>\n\n3\nI hail'd a cab, I'd better far,\nHave taken one inside;\nFor with a trunk and carpet bag\nI felt compell'd to ride.\nIn Holborn soon he put me down,\nHow much? \"Five bob\" says he;\nSays I- I'm from the country,\nBut you don't get over me.\n\n4\nI offered eighteen pence he stared,\nThen took it with a smile;\nI dined at the hotel then took,\nA stroll to the Argyle.\nA dashing damsel soon came up,\nI know you well - says she;\nSays I - I'm from the country,\nBut you don't get over me.\n\n5\nI went to Epsom Races - where,\nI wished to back a horse;\nA lot of \"welchers\" soon I found,\nCollected on the course.\nI'll lay the odds \"says one\" you pay,\nThe stake to Captain B.;\nSays I- I'm from the country,\nBut you don't Captain me.\n\n6\nI walked about betwixt the racing,\nAll the fun to view;\nI played three sticks a penny,\nAnd at old Aunt Sally threw.\nA thimble-rigger wished to bet,\nI couldn't find \"the pea\";\nSays I - I'm from the country,\nBut you don't get over me.\n\n7\nI once when walking in the street;\nWas asked if I'd enlist;\nBy a tall recruiting serjeant,\nWith a shilling in his fist.\nYou're just the sort of man we want,\nA general soon you'd be;\nSays I - I'm from the country,\nBut you don't \"old Soldier\" me\n\n8\nI visited a billiard room,\nBut felt inclined to walk;\nWhen my opponent from his pocket,\nPulled a bit of chalk.\nHe let me win two half-crown games,\nPlay for a pound says he;\nSays I - I'm from the country,\nBut you don't perform on me.\n\n9\nYou'll think I'm fond of singing,\nThe charge I own is true;\nWho would not be delighted,\nTo amuse such friends as you.\nI sang two songs before this,\nYou won't want more than three;\nI'm a young man from the country,\nBut you don't get over me.<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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An early Music Hall song which has passed into traditional singing on both sides of the Atlantic and was widely printed with widely varying stanzas in 19th century broadsides and songbooks. Its widespread popularity was reflected in the huge number of parodies which appeared in the decade which followed it first being sung by Harry Sydney and William Randall in c1860.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019m a young man from the country (but you won\u2019t get over me)<\/em>\u00a0was written by\u00a0Harry Sydney<\/a>\u00a0in approximately 1860 to the tune of an earlier theatrical song composed by Thomas German Reed called more succinctly:  A young man from the country <\/a><\/em>(RN25882).\u00a0<\/em>Sydney sang his song in the Halls, as did\u00a0William Randall<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 though the notices below show there was initially  a disagreement about who it was written for.  Many of the songs sung in the Halls had variation built in – they were written so that it was easy to slip in new topical verses and place names. This in part explains why there are so many variants of this song – eg early variants saw the young man coming from Lancashire, Northamptonshire and in the USA, from Schenectady. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Notices in The Daily Telegraph May 11 and May 20, 1861<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The in-built adaptability of the song alone cannot explain explain the huge number of variants which seem to have persisted in the late 19th century – I suspect it was a huge hit throughout the English-speaking world and this popularity inspired songwriters to produce their own versions. Confining my searches to the 1860s I have found the following variants and parodies, the list is unlikely to be complete:<\/p>\n\n\n\n