Annotation:Lad with the Trousers On (1) (The)

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LAD WITH THE TROUSERS ON, THE. AKA and see "Country Sheep-Shearing (The)," "Esqr. Lessar," "Old Spand Hornpipe," "Sailors Are All at the Bar (The)," "Sheep Shearing." English, Air (9/8 time). England, Northumberland. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. A few versions of the tune were collected by Northumbrian poet and musician John Bell (1783-1864) and entered into his c. 1812 music manuscript collection [1]. Matt Seattle finds cognates in Thomas Marsden's "Old Spand Hornpipe," as well as "Country Sheep-shearing"/"Sheep Shearing" and "Esqr. Lessar." The title appears in Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes ("The Northern Minstrel's Budget"), which he published c. 1800. The song was sung to the air "Sailors Are All at the Bar (The)."

The lad wi' the trousers on, He says he winnot hae me;
The lad wi' the trousers on, He says he winnot hae me.
If he winnot hae me, He can let me be;
Aw can get another, Twice as good as he. ... (Bruce & Stokoe)

See also notes for the cognate melody "Annotation:Old Spand Hornpipe."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Stokoe & Bruce (Northumbrian Minstrelsy), 1882; p. 128.

Recorded sources:

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