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Whirly Whorl
The Whirly Whorl
[
Roud 12573
; Ballad Index RcTWW
; Mudcat 16238
; trad.]
Peter Buchan included The Whirly Wha in his 1832 anthology of risqué and convivial songs, Secret Songs of Silence.
Anne Briggs sang an anglicised version of this, The Whirly Whorl, in 1966 on the Topic theme album of traditional erotic songs, The Bird in the Bush. As all of her four tracks from this album it was reissued on her compilations Classic Anne Briggs and A Collection. A.L. Lloyd noted on the original album:
Another song on the persistent motif of the sexual incompatibility of old men and young girls. Throughout the world, the theme is taken as the inexhaustible stuff of comedy. Chinese, Eskimos, Arabs, everyone finds it funny and makes songs about it. Generally the situation arises because the old gentleman has property and the girl has only her charms. So perhaps our laughter is but the uneasy recognition of the gulf between security and delight. A “whorl” is the plummet used for spinning yarn by hand, but here it just means “thingamagig”. In Aberdeen, early in the 19th century, Peter Buchan got a set of this song (rather longer than ours), probably from the blind, itinerant singer Jamie Rankin. Buchan believed the song was written by Mary Hay “daughter of one of the Earls of Errol, after she was married to General Scott from whom she eloped for want of …”. Perhaps; but Buchan was given to guesswork.
Eliza Carthy and The Kings of Calicutt (Andi Wells, Barnaby Stradling, Saul Rose and Maclaine Colston) sang this “rude song about getting married” in 1997 on their eponymous album Eliza Carthy and The Kings of Calicutt. It was also included on the Topic anthologies And We'll All Have Tea and English Originals.
Isambarde sang Whirly Whorl in 2004 on their CD on the Whirly Whorl label, Brunel's Kingdom.
Sue Brown and Lorraine Irwing sang Whirly Whorl in 2012 on their RootBeat CD The 13th Bedroom.
Lyrics
Anne Briggs sings The Whirly Whorl | Eliza Carthy sings The Whirly Whorl |
---|---|
The very first wedding I was bridesmaid at |
Well, the very first wedding I was bridesmaid at |
Well, first she modestly turned her back |
Well, first she modestly turned her back |
“Well, woe be to my mother,” she said, |
“Well, woe be to my mother,” she cried, |
(Repeat first verse) |
Acknowledgements
Eliza Carthy's lyrics sent by Ed Pellow in the Mudcat Café. Thanks, Ed! Garry Gillard introduced “feathery”. Since then, corrections from Eliza herself in the same thread.