Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote down the tune (and the words to the refrains) of this song from Mr Gothard who lived at Church Street, Wilburton in 1906. He failed to notate the text but must have known it from one of his extensive collection of broadsides. From my own experience it is almost impossible to notate songs AND write the words simultaneously, so we shouldn't criticise this omission. It took a great deal of finding a broadside called the Lousy Tailor, but the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library Take-6 website came up trumps with a
version collected from Mr Booker in Warnham, Sussex by Francis Collinson in 1950. I have adapted it slightly and relocated it to the Fens . It is just the sort of boisterous tale that would raise a laugh in the public house where it was most likely collected by RVW.
~ Mary Humphreys
credits
from A Baker's Dozen,
released June 6, 2012
Mary Humphreys : vocal
supported by 4 fans who also own “The Little Lousy Tailor”
Because I couldn't decide what my favourite track was. It's a beautiful album and every track could be my favourite. However, I am a soppy git so I chose stowaway. Thank you Jon and keep up the good work. amediamonkey