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Jan Knuckey
[ Roud - ; Mudcat 4106 ; trad.]
Jan Knuckey is listed as a reading or recitation with sung chorus in Ralph Dunstan, Cornish Dialect and Folk Songs (London: Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew, 1932). A much longer version called Jan Knuckey and Graacey with 27 verses is in William Sandys: Specimens of Cornish Provincial Dialect (London: John Russell Smith, 1846).
Brenda Wootton sang Jan Knuckey on her posthumous anthology Brenda Wootton (1996). I don't know on which album this track was originally released.
The Witches of Elswick sang Jan Knuckey in 2005 on their second and last album, Hell's Belles. They commented in their liner notes:
Bry learnt this from the singing of Brenda Wootton. It tells the tale of a Cornish miner who tries it on with a rather wealthy local lady, but she's not having any of it. He's hard, but she's harder.
Cornish lesson: Bal = a mine; Durns = doorposts.
Lyrics
Jan Knuckey in Cornish Dialect and Folk Songs | The Witches of Elswick sing Jan Knuckey |
---|---|
Chorus (after each verse): | |
Jan Knuckey was a miner bold |
Jan Knuckey was a miner bold |
Chorus (after each verse): | |
When prinked up in 'es Sunday Cloaze | |
Now up along to Church-Town liv'd |
Now down along to Church-Town lived |
Aaunt Graacey 'ad for many 'eas | |
Well Jan e fetched 'es coose wun day |
Now Jan got his courage one day |
At laast sez 'e I do 'e luv |
Then he said, “I do ye love, |
Aw lev us 'av no fuss sez Jan |
“Oh let us have no fuss,” said Jan, |
But Graacey's dander now was up |
Well, Gracey's dander now was up |