The Gypsy Laddie
Encyclopedia
"The Gypsy Laddie" also known as "Black Jack Davy" and "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies" among many other titles, is a Border ballad
, possibly written about 1720 on the Scottish side of the border. 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 more recently Ireland
from the 1970s.
, now located in Dumfriesshire
Scotland
in 1814 by Francis James Child
's compilation, a 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. 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.
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).
Due to the Romani
chal origins of the main protagonist Davie or Johnny Faa, the balad was translated into Anglo-Romany in 1890 by the Gypsy Lore Society.
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.
Border ballad
The English/Scottish border has a long and bloody history of conquest and reconquest, raid and counter-raid . It also has a stellar tradition of balladry, such that a whole group of songs exists that are often called "border ballads", because they were collected in that region.Border ballads, like...
, possibly written about 1720 on the Scottish side of the border. The ballad has often been used and recorded in many different variations in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from the 18th century, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from the 19th century, and more recently Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
from the 1970s.
History
The ballad was first recorded in NithsdaleNithsdale
Nithsdale , also known by its anglicised gaelic name Strathnith or Stranit, is the valley of the River Nith in Scotland, and the name of the region...
, now located in Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1814 by Francis James Child
Francis James Child
Francis James Child was an American scholar, educator, and folklorist, best known today for his collection of folk songs known as the Child Ballads. Child was Boylston professor of rhetoric and oratory at Harvard University, where he produced influential editions of English poetry...
's compilation, a 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. The earliest known printing was in Tea Table Miscellany (1740). "Lady Cassilles' Lilt" (aka "Johnny Faa, the Gypsiey Laddie") is among the Skene
William Forbes Skene
William Forbes Skene , Scottish historian and antiquary, was the second son of Sir Walter Scott's friend, James Skene , of Rubislaw, near Aberdeen....
manuscripts from the 17th century.
Nick Tosches
Nick Tosches
Nick Tosches is an American journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet of Albanian and Italian descent.- Life :After different odd-jobs, Tosches started writing with poetry and rock-'n'-roll magazines, including Creem, Fusion, and Rolling Stone.Tosches' second book, a biography of Jerry Lee Lewis...
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
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
and Eurydice
Eurydice
Eurydice in Greek mythology, was an oak nymph or one of the daughters of Apollo . She was the wife of Orpheus, who loved her dearly; on their wedding day, he played joyful songs as his bride danced through the meadow. One day, a satyr saw and pursued Eurydice, who stepped on a venomous snake,...
. The ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, 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
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
used the song in his Reliques of Robert Burns; consisting chiefly of original letters, poems, and critical observations on Scottish songs (1808).
Due to the Romani
Romani
Romani relates or may refer to:- Nationality :*The Romani people**their Romani language*The Latin term for the ancient Romans, see Roman citizenship*The Italian term for inhabitants of Rome...
chal origins of the main protagonist Davie or Johnny Faa, the balad was translated into Anglo-Romany in 1890 by the Gypsy Lore Society.
Description
The song tells of a Gypsy who charms 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
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
adapted the song into "Sweet Tibby Dunbar," a shorter version of the story.
There is also children's version by Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell (musician)
Elizabeth Mitchell, a Smithsonian Folkways Recording artist, has been recording and performing music for children since 1998. Elizabeth was the first new children's music artist signed to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in the 21st century...
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
Robin Hood's Death
Robin Hood's Death is the 120th ballad of the Child ballads collection published by Houghton Mifflin. The fragmentary Percy Folio version of it appears to be one of the oldest existing tales of Robin Hood; there is a synopsis of the story in the fifteenth century A Gest of Robyn Hode...
." According to The Faber Book of Ballads the name Faa was common among Gypsies in the 17th century.
Relation to other folk traditions
The theme of the wandering gypsy or labourer is frequently found in folk music.Recordings
- Cliff Carlisle, "Black Jack David" (Decca 5732, 1939)
- Carter FamilyCarter FamilyThe Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
, "Black Jack David" (Conqueror 9574, 1940) - Woody GuthrieWoody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
, "Gypsy Davy" (on A Treasury of Library of Congress Field Recordings, 1941) - O. J. Abbott, "The Gypsy Daisy"
- Alfred DellerAlfred DellerAlfred George Deller CBE , was an English singer and one of the main figures in popularizing the return of the countertenor voice in Renaissance and Baroque music during the 20th Century....
and Desmond DupréDesmond DupréDesmond Dupré was an English lutenist and a prominent figure in the 20th century revival of early music...
, "The Wraggle Taggle Gypsies" (Vanguard VRS 1001, 1956) - John Jacob NilesJohn Jacob NilesJohn Jacob Niles was an American composer, singer, and collector of traditional ballads. Called the "Dean of American Balladeers", Niles was an important influence on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, with Joan Baez, Burl Ives, and Peter, Paul and Mary, among others,...
, "The Gypsy Laddie" (on Sings American Folk Songs, ?1956)- (on Irish and British Songs from the Ottawa Valley, 1961, recorded 1957)
-
- Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
, "Gypsy Davy" (on Pete Seeger Sings American Ballads, 1957)- Harry Jackson, "Clayton Boone" (on The Cowboy: His Songs, Ballads & Brag Talk, 1957)
- Burl IvesBurl IvesBurl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
"Tibby Dunbar" (on In the Quiet of the Night, 1958) - Mary Jo Davis, "Black Jack Davy" (on Folk Music U.S.A., 1959)
- Harry CoxHarry CoxHarry Fred Cox , was a Norfolk farmworker and one of the most important singers of traditional English music of the twentieth century, on account of his large repertoire and fine singing style....
, Jeannie RobertsonJeannie RobertsonJeannie Robertson was a Scottish folk singer.-Hamish Henderson and Alan Lomax:It is not known where Jeannie Robertson was born but she did live at 90, Hilton Street in Aberdeen, where a plaque now commemorates her. Like many of the Scottish Travellers from Aberdeen, Glasgow and Ayrshire, she went...
, 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 RitchieJean RitchieJean Ritchie is an American folk singer, songwriter, and Appalachian dulcimer player.- Out of Kentucky :Abigail and Balis Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky had 14 children, and Jean was the youngest...
, "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 RamblersNew Lost City RamblersThe New Lost City Ramblers is a contemporary old-time string band that formed in New York City in 1958 during the Folk Revival. The founding members of the Ramblers, or NLCR, are Mike Seeger, John Cohen, and Tom Paley...
, "Black Jack David"- (on The New Lost City Ramblers, vol 4, 1962);
- Warren SmithWarren Smith (singer)Warren Smith was an American rockabilly and country music singer and guitarist.-Biography:Smith was born in Humphreys County, Mississippi to Iola and Willie Warren Smith, who divorced when he was young...
, "Black Jack David" (Sun 250, 1956) - Tommy MakemTommy MakemThomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...
(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 TrioThe Kingston TrioThe Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
, "The Gypsy Rover" (On Close-UpClose-Up (Kingston Trio album)Close-Up was the eleventh album by the American folk music group The Kingston Trio, released in 1961 . It was the first release by the group after the departure of founding member Dave Guard. The Trio now consisted of Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Guard's replacement John Stewart...
, Capitol Records, 1961) - The HighwaymenThe Highwaymen (folk band)The Highwaymen were a circa 1960 "collegiate folk" group, which originated at Wesleyan University and had a Billboard number-one hit in 1961 with "Michael" and another Top 20 hit in 1962 with "Cottonfields"...
, "Gypsy Rover" (1961) - Barbara DaneBarbara DaneBarbara Dane is an American folk, blues, and jazz singer.-Early life:Barbara Dane's parents arrived in Detroit from Arkansas in the 1920s. Out of high school, Dane began to sing regularly at demonstrations for racial equality and economic justice. While still in her teens, she sat in with bands...
, "Gypsy Davy" (on When I was a Young Girl, 1961) - Davy Graham "Seven Gypsies" (on Folk, Blues and Beyond, 1964)
- The CorriesThe CorriesThe Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. Although the group was a trio in the early days, it was as the partnership of Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne that it is best known.-Early years:...
"Whistling Gypsy" (on The Promise Of The DayThe Promise Of The DayThe Promise of the Day is a music album by the band The Corrie Folk Trio and Paddie Bell. It was produced in 1965.-Overview:The title of the album is a line from "The Uist Tramping Song". It was their first album in stereo and "The Uist Tramping Song" gives the three male voices very distinct...
, 1965) - Buffy Sainte-MarieBuffy Sainte-MarieBuffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
"House Carpenter" (on Little Wheel Spin and Spin, 1966) - Shirley CollinsShirley CollinsShirley Elizabeth Collins MBE is a British folksinger who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s...
, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on Power of the True Love Knot, 1967) - Martin CarthyMartin CarthyMartin Carthy MBE is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days...
, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on Prince Heathen, 1969) - FotheringayFotheringayFotheringay was a short-lived British folk rock group, formed in 1970 by singer Sandy Denny on her departure from Fairport Convention. The band drew its name from her 1968 composition "Fotheringay" about Fotheringhay Castle, in which Mary, Queen of Scots had been imprisoned...
, "Gypsy Davey" sung by Sandy DennySandy DennySandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
(on Fotheringay 2Fotheringay 2Fotheringay 2 is the second album by the group formed by Sandy Denny after she left Fairport Convention in 1969, and consists of previously unreleased tracks. The band was short-lived, and this album collects those remaining performances.-Track listing:...
, 1970) - Incredible String BandIncredible String BandThe Incredible String Band were a psychedelic folk band formed in Scotland in 1966. The band built a considerable following, especially within British counterculture, before splitting up in 1974...
, "Black Jack Davy" (on I Looked UpI Looked UpI Looked Up is the sixth album by the Incredible String Band. Recorded at a time when the band was busy rehearsing for their ambitious upcoming stage show, U, the album has been described by band member Robin Williamson as a "quickie." The album contains one of Mike Heron's best loved ISB songs,...
, 1970, note - this version is original, written by Mike Heron but tells a similar story as the others) - Christy MooreChristy MooreChristopher Andrew "Christy" Moore is a popular Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts...
, "The Raggle Taggle Gipsies" (on ProsperousProsperousProsperous is the second album by Irish folk musician Christy Moore, released in 1972. His first album, Paddy On The Road was recorded by Dominic Behan in 1969 and has long been out of print...
, 1972) - PlanxtyPlanxtyPlanxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...
, "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (on PlanxtyPlanxty (album)Planxty is the first album by the Irish folk group Planxty, released in 1973. Because of its dark cover, it is sometimes referred to as "the Black Album."...
, 1973) - Arlo GuthrieArlo GuthrieArlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
, "Gypsy Davy" (on Last of the Brooklyn CowboysLast of the Brooklyn CowboysLast of the Brooklyn Cowboys is a 1973 album by American folk singer Arlo Guthrie.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Arlo Guthrie; except where indicated#"Farrell O'Gara" - 2:49#"Gypsy Davy" - 3:44...
, 1973) - Taj MahalTaj Mahal (musician)Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
, "Blackjack Davey" (on Mo'Roots, 1974) - Steve GainesSteve GainesSteven Earl Gaines was an American musician. He is most well known as a guitarist and songwriter for southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and is the younger brother of Cassie Gaines, who was also a member of the band...
, "Black Jack Davey" (on One in the SunOne in the SunOne in the Sun is credited as the only solo album by Steve Gaines, best known as the guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was recorded with Crawdad bandmates at Capricorn studios in Macon Georgia in 1975, but not released until 1988 by MCA Records, 11 years after Gaines' death in a plane crash.- Track...
, 1975) - Wizz JonesWizz JonesRaymond Ronald Jones better-known as Wizz Jones is an English acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been performing since the late 1950s and recording from 1965 to the present...
, "Gypsy Davey" (on Lazy FarmerLazy Farmer (album)Lazy Farmer is the 1975 album by British Folk rock group Lazy Farmer. This short-lived group consisted of pioneer British Folk musician Wizz Jones, his wife Sandy Jones, John Bidwell and Jake Walton. The album was dedicated to American banjo player John Burke, whose book "Fiddle Tunes for the...
, 1975) - The WatersonsThe WatersonsThe Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies.-Career:...
"Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on For Pence and Spicy Ale, 1975) - Steeleye SpanSteeleye SpanSteeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....
, "Black Jack Davy" (on All Around My Hat, 1975) - Kevin RothKevin RothKevin Roth is an American folk singer and dulcimer player who has released thirty-two albums. His most recent CD is titled Between the Notes...
, "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 KeaneDolores KeaneDolores Keane is an Irish folk singer and occasional actress. She was a founding member of the successful group De Dannan, and has since embarked on a very successful solo career, establishing herself as one of the most loved interpreters of Irish song.-Background:Keane was born in a small village...
, "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)
- Mike SeegerMike SeegerMike Seeger was an American folk musician and folklorist. He was a distinctive singer and an accomplished musician who played autoharp, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, guitar, mouth harp, mandolin, dobro, jaw harp, and pan pipes. Seeger, a half-brother of Pete Seeger, produced more than 30 documentary...
, "Black Jack Davey" (on Fresh Oldtime String Music, 1988) - The King's Singers, "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies" (on Watching the White Wheat, 1990)
- The WaterboysThe WaterboysThe Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
, "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (on Room to RoamRoom to RoamRoom to Roam is an album by The Waterboys; it continued the folk-rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues, but was less of a commercial success, reaching one-hundred and eighty on the Billboard Top 200 after its release in September 1990. Critical response continues to be mixed...
, 1990) - Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, "Blackjack Davey" (on Good as I Been to YouGood as I Been to YouGood as I Been to You is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 28th studio album, released by Columbia Records in November 1992.It is composed entirely of traditional folk songs and covers, and is Dylan's first entirely solo, acoustic album since Another Side of Bob Dylan in 1964...
, 1992) - Chesapeake, "Black Jack Davey" (on Rising Tide, 1994)
- Cordelia's DadCordelia's DadCordelia's Dad is a band from Northampton, Massachusetts that combines folk and punk rock influences and was instrumental in the creation of the genre later to be dubbed "No Depression". The band formed in 1987 and was active until 1998, when the members relocated to different parts of the country...
, "Gypsy Davy" (on Comet, 1995) - Sandra And Nancy Kerr, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on Neat and Complete, 1996)
- Sharon KnightSharon KnightSharon Knight is a San Francisco-based neopagan composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist known for writing, recording, and performing Celtic fusion music. She also records and performs harder edged music with Middle Eastern themes as the frontperson of the Pagan rock/Folk Metal group Pandemonaeon...
, "Black Jack Davy" (on Incantation, 1996) - Dave AlvinDave AlvinDave Alvin , is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music....
, "Blackjack David" (on Blackjack David, 1998) - Waterson:CarthyWaterson:CarthyWaterson:Carthy are an English folk group originally comprising Norma Waterson on vocals, her husband Martin Carthy on guitar and vocals and their daughter Eliza Carthy on fiddle and vocals....
"Ragggle Taggle Gipsies" (on Broken Ground, 1999) - Carlos NúñezCarlos NúñezCarlos Núñez is a Galician musician who plays the gaita, the traditional Galician bagpipe.-Life and career:Nuñez was born in 1971 in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. He began playing the bagpipes when he was eight years old. In his early teens, he was invited to play with the Festival Orchestra of the...
"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)
- Cathal McConnell, "The Gypsies" (on Long Expectant Comes At Last, 2000
- The Empty Hats, "Raggle Taggle Gypsys" (on Greatest Hats, 2002)
- Damh The Bard,"Raggle Taggle Gypsy" ( on Herne's Apprentice, 2002)
- The White StripesThe White StripesThe White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, "Black Jack Davey" (on Seven Nation ArmySeven Nation Army"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on the album Elephant by American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released as a single in 2003. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks for three weeks and won 2004's Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song is known for its...
, 2003) - Jim MorayJim MorayJim Moray is an English folk singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.-Recording artist:While studying classical composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire, Moray released the home-recorded I Am Jim Moray EP. During 2002 he appeared at the Glastonbury festival and the Cambridge Folk...
, "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 MoyetAlison MoyetAlison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,...
, ""The Wraggle-Taggle Gypsies-O!" (on Voice, 2004) - Harem ScaremHarem Scarem (folk band)Harem Scarem is a Scottish folk band.-Biography:Harem Scarem was formed in 2003 by Inge Thomson , Sarah McFadyen , Nuala Kennedy, Eilidh Shaw , and Ross Martin...
"Tibby Dunbar" (on The Birnam Witch Project, 2005) - June TaborJune TaborJune Tabor is an English folk singer.- Early years :June Tabor was inspired to sing by hearing Anne Briggs' EP Hazards of Love in 1965. "I went and locked myself in the bathroom for a fortnight and drove my mother mad. I learned the songs on that EP note for note, twiddle for twiddle. That's how I...
, "Gypsum Davey" (on Always, 2005) - Nic JonesNic JonesNicolas Paul "Nic" Jones is an English folk singer, fingerstyle guitarist and fiddle player whose professional career spanned the years 1964-1982. He recorded five solo albums, and was a frequent guest performer.-Biography:...
, "Seven Yellow Gypsies" (on Game Set Match, 2006) - Celtic ThunderCeltic ThunderCeltic Thunder is a singing group composed of male soloists who perform both solo and ensemble numbers. Celtic Thunder debuted in August 2007 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland...
, "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (on Celtic Thunder. 2008) - Rapalje "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (on Into Folk, 1998 & Celtic Fire, 2008)
- Ariella Uliano, "The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies" (on Leave Only Your Footsteps Behind, 2008)
- Pete Seeger
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, NickNick ToschesNick Tosches is an American journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet of Albanian and Italian descent.- Life :After different odd-jobs, Tosches started writing with poetry and rock-'n'-roll magazines, including Creem, Fusion, and Rolling Stone.Tosches' second book, a biography of Jerry Lee Lewis...
(1996). Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'N' Roll. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80713-0.
External links
- "The Wraggle Taggle Gipsies-O" melody and lyrics
- Origins: "The Raggle-Taggle Gypsy" at The Mudcat CaféMudcat CafeThe Mudcat Café is an online discussion group and song and tune database, which also includes many other features relating to folk music.-History:...
- 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