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Jim the Carter Lad

[ Roud 1080 ; Master title: Jim the Carter Lad ; G/D 3:457 ; Henry H171 ; Ballad Index FSC096 ; GlosTrad Roud 1080 ; Wiltshire 355 ; DT JIMCART ; Mudcat 36198 ; trad.]

Lucy Broadwood: English Traditional Songs and Carols Bob Copper: Songs & Southern Breezes Paul and Liz Davenport: Down Yorkshire Lanes Fred Hamer: Garners Gay John Howson: Songs Sung in Suffolk Mary and Nigel Hudleston: Songs of the Ridings Gale Huntington, Lani Herrmann, John Moulden: Sam Henry’s Songs of the People Roy Palmer: Everyman’s Book of English Country Songs

Jimmy McBeath sang The Jolly Carter Lad to Alan Lomax in Lomax’s apartment in London on 14 November 1953. This recording was included in 2002 on his Rounder anthology Tramps and Hawkers. The album’s booklet noted:

A fragment of an English song that Gavin Greig says became “well known in the north”. Jim the Carter is sometimes Joe the Carrier (a carrier was a combination of bus driver and shopping agent).

Jack Goodfellow of Rennington, Northumberland sang Jim the Carter Lad to Peter Kennedy in 1954. This BBC recording 22443 was included on the anthology Jack of All Trades (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 3; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968). The album’s booklet noted:

A century or so ago, when this music hall ditty was popular, few people in the rural areas ever went far from their villages in their entire lives. A journey to London was an epic adventure to be remembered always. In this immobile world, the waggoner was a romantic figure, envied by men and sighed over by young women, as the many songs celebrating the carefree life of the waggoner attest:

It is a dark and stormy night and I’m wet to the skin.
But I’ll bear it with contentment till I get to the inn.
Where I shall get good liquor and the landlord and his friends.
Sing wo, my lads, sing wo! drive on, my lads, I-o!
Who would not lead the life of a jolly waggoner!

With the coming of the railroad, all this was to change, and in 1835 the rural ballad maker was singing:

Along the country roads, alas. but waggoners few are seen.
The world is topsy turvy turned and all things go by steam.
And all the past is passed away like to a moving dream.

Jim Swain sang Jim the Carter Lad to Bob Copper at the Woodman’s Arms, Hammerpot, Sussex, on 30 October 1954. Copper printed this BBC recording 22763 in his 1973 book Songs & Southern Breezes and it was included in 2012 on the Topic anthology of songs by Southern English traditional singers, You Never Heard So Sweet (The Voice of the People Volume 21). Shirley Collins noted:

Harold Swain, known locally as Jim, was born in Felpham around 1890, and lived at Angmering in Sussex. Bob Copper in Songs & Southern Breezes writes of his meeting with him: “A little way out of the village I came to his garden gate. Jim was sitting hatless on a kitchen chair just outside the open cottage door with his hands placed one on top of the other with the palms down on the handle of a stout ash walking-stick at the level of his chin. … Jim had lost his sight in the great influenza epidemic that had swept the country when he was a young man. … I found in Jim… an inner calm and peace of mind that radiated an aura of contentment all around him. … Jim sang in a rich bass voice many old songs, among them appropriately enough, Jim the Carter Lad.” It was the job Jim had had all his life.

George Townshend sang Joe the Carrier Lad to Brian Matthews on 7 February 1960. This recording was included in 2000 on his Musical Traditions anthology Come, Hand to Me the Glass. An alternative recording made by Ken Stubbs in 1960 was included on the second CD of the album’s 2012 reissue. Rod Stradling noted:

Like All Jolly Fellows That Follow the Plough, this is another popular song among English country singers up to the present day. We know of 35 instances, including two from Scotland and three having crossed the water to America. It is very well-known around Sussex, having been recorded from George Belton, George Spicer, Jim Swain and Cyril Phillips.

Obviously, the song would have considerable resonance for George, who began his working life as a carter boy. He is again joined by his granddaughter Angela on this song.

Cyril Phillips sang Joe the Carrier Lad at The Royal Oak, Milton Street, Arlington, Sussex, on 27 May 1960. Ths recording made by Brian Matthews was included in 2001 on the Musical Traditions of song from cuntry pubs recorded by Matthews, Just Another Saturday Night. Rod Stradling noted:

This is another popular song among English country singers up to the present day, and has been found up in Yorkshire and Northumberland as well as all over the South. We know of 35 instances, including two from Scotland and three having crossed the water to America. It is very well-known around Sussex, having been recorded from George Belton, George Spicer, Jim Swain and by George Townshend, who sings a very similar version to this on his recent Musical Traditions CD Come, Hand to Me the Glass.

George Belton sang Jim the Carter Lad at Horsham Festival in 1961. This recording made by Tony Wales was included in 2020 on his Musical Traditions anthology A True Furrow to Hold. He also recorded Jim the Carter Lad in 1967 for his EDFSS album All Jolly Fellows…. A third version sung at the Lewes Arms, Mount Place, Lewes, Sussex, on 11 May 1974 was included in 1975 on the Transatlantic anthology recorded at this pub, The Brave Ploughboy.

(…)

Lyrics

Jimmy McBeath sings The Jolly Carter Lad

Crack, crack, groes ma wheep, ah whistle and ah sing.
Ah sit upon my wagon, ah’m as happy as a king.
My horse is aye so willin, and for me ah’m never sad.
There’s none could lead a jollier life like Jim the cairter lad.

I used to sit upon ma wagon and hear ma father sing.
As merrily as his wheep gaed crack and merrily did he sing.

Crack, crack, goes his wheep, and he whistles and he sing.
Ah sit upon my wagon, ah’m as happy as a king.
My horse is aye so willin, and for me ah’m never sad.
There’s none can lead a jollier life like Jim the cairter lad.

Jack Goodfellow sings Jim the Carter Lad

Me name is Jim the carter a jolly cock am I,
I always am contented be the weather wet or dry;
I crack me fingers at the snow and whistle at the rain
And I’ve braved the storm for many a day and can do so again.

So it’s crack, crack, goes me whip I whistle and I sing;
I sit upon me wagon, I’m as happy as a king;
Me horse is always willing and for me I’m never sad;
There’s nane could lead a jollier life nor Jim the carter lad.

It’s my father was a carrier many years ere I was born;
He used to rise at daybreak and go his round each morn.
He’d often take me with him especially in the Spring,
When I loved to sit upon the cart and hear me father sing.

It’s now the girls all smile on me. as I go driving past;
The horse is such a beauty. as we jog along so fast;
We’ve travelled many weary miles but happy days we’ve had,
And there’s none can use a horse more kind nor Jim the carter lad.

So its crack, crack, etc.

[ Now. friends, I bid you all adieu ’tis time I was away;
I know my horse will weary. if I much longer stay;
To see your smiling faces here It makes me feel quite glad,
And I know you’ll grant your kind applause to Jim the carter lad.]

Jim Swain sings Jim the Carter Lad

Chorus (after each verse):
Smack, crack goes the whip; I whistle and I sing.
I sit upon my wagon; I was happy as a king.
My horse is always willing, and me I’m never sad.
There’s none could lead a jollier life than Jim the carter lad.

And he was a jolly wagoner; jolly wagoner was he,
There’s none all in this country so gay as he.
And I’m so simple, so simple as I seem,
I’ll smack my whip and whistle as I drive my team.

I was a jolly wagoner; jolly wagoner was I,
I walked all in this land as so gay as they. [?]
My wagon wheels were turning and my horses’ bells were ringing,
And there’s none could lead a jollier life than Jim the carter lad.

George Townshend sings Joe the Carrier Lad

My name is Joe the carrier lad, a merry chap am I.
I always am contented, be the weather-wet or dry.
I snap my fingers at the frost, I whistle at the rain.
I’ve braved the storms for many a day and will do so again.

Chorus (after each verse):
Oh crack, crack, goes the whip, I whistle and I sing.
I sit upon my wagon, I’m as happy as a king.
My horse is always willing and I am never sad,
For who should lead a life more gay than Joe the carrier lad?

My father was a carrier a twenty year ago
To market of a Thursday almost regularly he would go
Sometimes he’d take me with him, particular in the spring.
Then up I’d step upon the box and hear my father sing.

The girls they do laugh at me as I go riding past.
My horse he is a beauty as he trots along so fast.
For many a mile we’ve put behind and happy days we’ve had.
There’s none can treat a horse more kind than Joe the carrier lad.

I never thinks of politics, or anything so great,
I care not for the high bred talk about the Church and State,
I has to [indecipherable] man to man and that’s what makes me glad
You’ll find there beats an honest heart in Joe the carrier lad.

Cyril Phillips sings Joe the Carrier Lad

My name is Joe the carrier lad, a merry chap am I.
I always am contented, be the weather wet or dry.
I snap my fingers at the frost, I whistle at the rain.
I’ve braved the storms for many a day - will do so again.

Me father was a carrier twenty year ago
To market of a Thursday almost regular he would go
Sometimes he’d take me with him, particular in the spring.
And up I’d sit upon the box and hear my father sing.

The girls they all do smile at me as I go driving past.
My horse he is a beauty as he trots along so fast.
There’s many a mile we’ve left behind and happy days we’ve had.
But none can treat a horse more kind than Joe the carrier lad.

I never thinks of politics, or anything so great,
I care not for their high-bred talk about the Church and State,
I [act a-right] as man to man and that’s what makes I glad
You’ll find there beats an honest heart in Joe the carrier lad.

George Belton sings Jim the Carter Lad

Oh my name is Jim the carter lad, a jolly cock am I,
I always am contented, be the weather wet or dry.
I snap my fingers at the snow, and whistle at the rain,
I’ve braved the storms for many a day and can do it again.

Chorus (after each verse):
Crack, crack, goes my whip, I whistle and I sing.
I sit upon my wagon I’m as happy as a king.
My horse is always willing, as for me I’m never sad,
For none can lead a jollier life than Jim the carter lad?

My father was a carrier, many years ere I was born,
He used to rise at daybreak and do his rounds each morn.
He’d sometimes take I with him, especially in the spring,
And I’d love to sit upon the cart and hear my father sing.

The girls they always smile at I, as I go riding past.
My horse is such a beauty as she jogs along so fast,
She’s travelled many weary miles and happy hours have had.
There’s none can lead a jollier life than Jim the carter lad.

Now it’s time to wish you all goodnight, it’s time I was away,
My horse will only weary if I much longer stay.
To see your smiling faces, it makes me feel quite glad,
Now I hope you all will drink with me to Jim the carter lad.