The Gypsy Laddie

"The Gypsy Laddie" (Roud 1, Child 200), also known as "Black Jack Davy" and "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies" among many other titles, is a Scottish traditional folk ballad ^[1], possibly written about 1720. The ballad has often been used and recorded in many different variations in Scotland and England from the 18th century, the United States, Canada from the 19th century, and Ireland from the 1970s.

History

Francis James Child's compilation, the five-volume The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882–1898), provides an excellent history of this ballad. The Gypsy Laddie is ballad number 200 in the collection, and Child describes that the printed versions of this ballad probably date back to at least 1720 and is traditional Scottish folk tune.^[2] The earliest known printing was in Tea Table Miscellany (1740). "Lady Cassilles' Lilt" (aka "Johnny Faa, the Gypsiey Laddie") is among the Skene manuscripts from the 17th century.^[3]

Nick Tosches in his Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'N' Roll, spends part of his first chapter examining the song's history. He compares the song's narrative to the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The ballad, according to Tosches, retells the story of John Faw, a 17th century outlaw, described as a Scottish Gypsy, and Lady Jane Hamilton, wife of John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassilis. Lord Cassilis led a band of men (some sources say 16, other 7) to abduct her. They were caught and hanged on the "Dool Tree" in 1643. The "Gypsies" were killed (except for one, who escaped) and Lady Jane Hamilton was imprisoned for the remainder of her life, dying in 1642.

Robert Burns used the song in his Reliques of Robert Burns; consisting chiefly of original letters, poems, and critical observations on Scottish songs (1808).

Description

The song tells of a Gypsy who tries, successfully, to charm the unmarried daughter of a squire. He promises her wealth and she goes off with him. When the squire comes home and discovers what has happened he rides off in search of his daughter, and after a long chase he finds her. The final encounter is where the daughter refuses to come home, saying "What care I for your fine feather sheets?"

In other versions she is married, and her lord comes home to find his lady "gone with the gypsy laddie." He saddles his fastest horse to follow her. He finds her and bids her come home, asking "Would you forsake your husband and child?" She will not return, preferring the cold ground and the gypsy's company to her lord's wealth and fine bed.

In another version the gypsy has six brothers, and when the squire has caught up with them he has all seven of the raggle taggle Gypsies hanged. In some versions the gypsy turns out to be genuinely wealthy. The song "Lizzie Lindsay" has a similar theme. Robert Burns adapted the song into "Sweet Tibby Dunbar," a shorter version of the story.

There is also children's version by Elizabeth Mitchell which has lyrical content changed to be about a young girl "charming hearts of the ladies", and sailing "across the deep blue sea, where the skies are always sunny".

Although the hero of this song is often called "Johnny Faa" or even "Davy Faa," he should not be confused with the hero/villain of "Davy Faa (Remember the Barley Straw)." [Silber and Silber misidentify all their texts] as deriving from "Child 120," which is actually "Robin Hood's Death." According to The Faber Book of Ballads the name Faa was common among Gypsies in the 17th century.

Alternative titles

Relation to other folk traditions

The theme of the wandering gypsy or labourer is frequently found in folk music (e.g. an Irish language song called 'An Spailpín Fánach' has an Irish Traveller or a seasonal labourer).

Recordings

• Cliff Carlisle, "Black Jack David" (Decca 5732, 1939)
• Carter Family, "Black Jack David" (Conqueror 9574, 1940)
• Woody Guthrie, "Gypsy Davy" (on A Treasury of Library of Congress Field Recordings, 1941)
• O. J. Abbott, "The Gypsy Daisy"
• John Jacob Niles, "The Gypsy Laddie" (on Sings American Folk Songs, ?1956)

  (on Irish and British Songs from the Ottawa Valley, 1961, recorded 1957)

1. • Pete Seeger, "Gypsy Davy" (on Pete Seeger Sings American Ballads, 1957)

• Harry Jackson, "Clayton Boone" (on The Cowboy: His Songs, Ballads & Brag Talk, 1957)
• Burl Ives "Tibby Dunbar" (on In the Quiet of the Night, 1958)
• Mary Jo Davis, "Black Jack Davy" (on Folk Music U.S.A., 1959)
• Harry Cox, Jeannie Robertson, Paddy Doran [composite] "The Gypsy Laddie" (as "The Gypsie Laddie"),

  (on Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales: Classis Ballads of Britain and Ireland, vol 2, 2000, originally issued in shorter form in 1961)

• Jean Ritchie, "Gypsy Laddie" (on British Traditional Ballads in the Southern Mountains, vol 1, 1961)
• Tossi Aaron, "Gypsy Davy" (on Philadelphia Folk Festival, vol. 2, Prestige/International 13072, 1962)
• Margaret MacArthur, "Gypsy Davy" (on Folk songs of Vermont, 1963)
• Maire Aine Ni Dhonnchadha, "The Gypsy-O"

  (on Traditional Music of Ireland, vol 2: Songs and Dances from Down, Kerry and Clare, 1963)

• Lawrence Older, "Gypsy Davy" (on Adirondack Songs, Ballads and Fiddle Tunes, 1963)
• New Lost City Ramblers, "Black Jack David"

  (on The New Lost City Ramblers, vol 4, 1962);

(also "Black Jack Daisy" (on Remembrance of Things to Come, 1966)

• Warren Smith, "Black Jack David" (Sun 250, 1956)
• Tommy Makem (solo), "The Whistling Gypsy" (On Folk Songs And Minstrelsy, Vanguard Records, 1960)
• The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, "The Whistling Gypsy" (On The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem, Columbia Records, 1961)
• The Chad Mitchell Trio, "The Whistling Gypsy Rover" (On Mighty Day On Campus, Kapp Records, 1961)
• The Kingston Trio, "The Gypsy Rover" (On Close-Up, Capitol Records, 1961)
• The Highwaymen, "Gypsy Rover" (1961)
• Barbara Dane, "Gypsy Davy" (on When I was a Young Girl, 1961)
• Davy Graham "Seven Gypsies" (on Folk, Blues and Beyond, 1964)
• The Corries "Whistling Gypsy" (on The Promise Of The Day, 1965)
• Buffy Sainte-Marie "House Carpenter" (on Little Wheel Spin and Spin, 1966)
• Shirley Collins, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on Power of the True Love Knot, 1967)
• Martin Carthy, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on Prince Heathen, 1969)
• Fotheringay, "Gypsy Davey" (on Fotheringay, 1970)
• Incredible String Band, "Black Jack Davy" (on I Looked Up, 1970, note - this version is original, written by Mike Heron but tells a similar story as the others)
• Christy Moore, "The Raggle Taggle Gipsies" (on Prosperous, 1972)
• Planxty, "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (on Planxty, 1973)
• Arlo Guthrie, "Gypsy Davy" (on Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys, 1973)
• Taj Mahal, "Blackjack Davey" (on Mo'Roots, 1974)
• Steve Gaines, "Black Jack Davey" (on One in the Sun, 1975)
• Wizz Jones, "Gypsy Davey" (on Lazy Farmer, 1975)
• The Watersons "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on For Pence and Spicy Ale, 1975)
• Steeleye Span, "Black Jack Davy" (on All Around My Hat, 1975)
• Kevin Roth, "Black Jack Davy" (on Kevin Roth Sings and Plays Dulcimer, 1975)
• Dillard Chandler, "Black Jack Daisy"' (on The End of an Old Song, 1975)
• Tannahill Weavers, "Gypsy Laddie" (on Are Ye Sleeping Maggie, 1976)
• Dolores Keane, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on There Was A Maid, 1978)
• The Bully Wee Band "Tibby Dunbar" (on Madmen of Gotham, 1981)
• Golden Bough, "Black Jack Davy" (on The Boatman's Daughter, 1983)
• The Waterboys, "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (on Room to Roam, 1990)
• Bob Dylan, "Blackjack Davey" (on Good as I Been to You, 1992)
• Chesapeake, "Black Jack Davey" (on Rising Tide, 1994)
• Cordelia's Dad, "Gypsy Davy" (on Comet, 1995)
• Sandra And Nancy Kerr, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on Neat and Complete, 1996)
• Sharon Knight, "Black Jack Davy" (on Incantation, 1996)
• Rapalje "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (on Into Folk, 1998 & Celtic Fire, 2008)
• Dave Alvin, "Blackjack David" (on Blackjack David, 1998)
• Waterson:Carthy "Ragggle Taggle Gipsies" (on Broken Ground, 1999)
• Carlos Núñez "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy (on Os Amores Libres, 1999)
• Grace Notes "Gypsy Davey" (on Red Wine and Promises 1999)
• The Prodigals, "Black-eyed Gypsy" (on Go On, 1999)
• The Empty Hats, "Raggle Taggle Gypsys" (on Greatest Hats, 2002)
• The White Stripes, "Black Jack Davey" (on Seven Nation Army, 2003)
• Jim Moray, "Gypsies" (on Sweet England, 2003)
• Benji Kirkpatrick, "The Gypsy Laddie" (on Half A Fruit Pie, 2004)
• Rosie Doonan & Ben Murray, "Gypsy Davy" (on Mill Lane, 2004)
• Alison Moyet, ""The Wraggle-Taggle Gypsies-O!" (on Voice, 2004)
• Harem Scarem "Tibby Dunbar" (on The Birnam Witch Project, 2005)
• June Tabor, "Gypsum Davey" (on Always, 2005)
• Nic Jones, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on Game Set Match, 2006)
• Celtic Thunder, "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (on Celtic Thunder. 2008)
• Ariella Uliano, "The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies" (on Leave Only Your Footsteps Behind, 2008)

	The Raggle Taggle Gypsy The Waterboys' recording of "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy", from the album Room to Roam.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

• John Smith, "Seven Gypsies" (2009)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(1446), "Gypsy Laddie," W. Stephenson (Gateshead), 1821-1838; also Harding B 11(2903), "Gypsy Loddy"; Harding B 19(45), "The Dark-Eyed Gipsy O"; Harding B 25(731), "Gipsy Loddy"; Firth b.25(220), "The Gipsy Laddy"; Harding B 11(1317), "The Gipsy Laddie, O"; Firth b.26(198), Harding B 15(116b), 2806 c.14(140), "The Gipsy Laddie"; Firth b.25(56), "Gypsie Laddie"
• Murray, Mu23-y3:030, "The Gypsy Laddie," unknown, 19C
• NLScotland, L.C.Fol.178.A.2(092), "The Gipsy Laddie," unknown, c. 1875
• Tosches, Nick (1996). Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'N' Roll. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80713-0.

Cross references

• cf. "The Roving Ploughboy" (theme, lyrics, tune)
• Bob Dylan's 'Tombstone Blues' has:

And Gypsy Davey with a blowtorch he burns out their camps

With his faithful slave Pedro behind him he tramps

• Also there is a joke:- How many folksingers does it take to change a light bulb?

There were seven yellow Gypsies all in a row

They were brave and bonny-O

One to change the bulb and one to tell the tale

And there's five to run away with the lady-O^[4]

Notes

External links

• "The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies-O" melody and lyrics
• Origins: "The Raggle-Taggle Gypsy" at The Mudcat Café
• {note|FAQ}} "FAQ". mikescottwaterboys. http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/mikescottwaterboys/mainframes.asp?file=News/faq.htm. Retrieved October 28 2005. 
• Variant lyrics, with chords from The Waterboys arrangement
• Child Ballad #200 Entry at Contemplator.com
• Ariella Uliano: The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies, song from 'Leave Only Your Footsteps Behind', 2008; modern setting.
• John Smith - "Seven Gyspies" acoustic performance video document