Lyr Req: Johnny o' Breadislea (#114, from JSD Band

Subject: Lyr Req: jsd band's johnny o'braidislea #114
From: Roberto
Date: 18 Sep 05 - 03:24 AM

I'd like to get the text of this ballad as sung by the JSD Band. There's work to be done before we get this done: please, help me. Thanks. R

JSD Band: JSD Band (Cube Records Hifly 11, 1972)

Johnny rose on a May morning
Called for water to wash his hands -
Gae lowse to me my twa grey dogs
That lie bound in iron bands, bands
That lie bound in iron bands

When Johnny's mither she heard o' this
Her hands for dule she did wrang (but it seems uncorrect, did + wrang))
Saying – Johnnie, for your venison
Tae the green woods dae no gang, gang
Tae the green woods dae no gang

But he has ta'en his guid benbow
And his arrows ain by ain
And he's awa to the greenwood gate
Tae ding the dun deer doon, doon
Tae ding the dun deer doon

....... Johnny fired
It wounded her in the side
And between the water and the woods
The grey dogs laid her pride, pride (but I hear a "t" sound, instead of the "p" of "pride" ...)
The grey dogs laid her pride

But by there came a silly auld man
And ...(swine?) was he
For he's awa tae Esslemont
The King seven foresters to see, see
The King seven foresters to see

Then up there came the seven foresters
......
Can this be Johnny O'Breadislea
Upon him we will drie, drie
Upon him we will drie

The first shot that the forester fired
It wounded him in the knee
And the next shot that the forester fired
His heart's blood blint his ee, ee
His heart's blood blint his ee

He's broken four o this man's ribs
His arm and his collar bane
And he's set his body across his horse
And he's killed them a' but ane, ane
And he's killed them a' but ane

Johnnie's guid bend-bow lies broke
And his twa grey dogs lie slain
And his body lies in Monymusk
And his huntin' days are dane, dane
And his huntin' days are dane

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHNNY O' BREADISLEA (#114, from JSD Band
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Sep 05 - 06:44 AM

Hi Roberto, I don't have the album you worked from. The only 70s JSD Band album I have is 'Travelling Days'. However, I do have JSD Band reunion album 'For the Record' Village Music VMCD 001 which does have a rendition of 'Johnny o' Breadislea'. Sean O'Rourke is the vocalist. What I hear is reproduced below. Whilst it may be slightly different from the earlier recording, I hope it is of use to you.

Regards, Stewie.

JOHNNY O' BREADISLEA

Johnny rose on a May morning
Called for water to wash his hands
Gae lowse tae me my twa grey dogs
That lie bound in iron bands, bands
That lie bound in iron bands

When Johnny's mither she heard o' this
Her hands for the dule she wrang
Saying, Johnny, for your venison
Tae the green woods nae no gang, gang
Tae the green woods nae no gang

But he has ta'en his guid benbow
And his arrows yin by yin
And he's awa to the greenwood gate
Tae ding the dun deer doon, doon
Tae ding the dun deer doon

The first shot that Johnny fired
It wounded her in the side
And between the water and the woods
Oh the grey dogs laid their pride, pride
The grey dogs laid their pride

And by there came a silly auld man
And an ill death may he dee
For he's awa tae Esslemont
For the king's seven foresters to see, see
The king's seven foresters to see

And up and spake the first forester
He's chief man o'er them a'
Can this be Johnny o' Breadislea
Upon him we will draw, draw
Upon him we will draw

The first shot that the forester fired
It wounded him in the knee
And the next shot that the forester fired
His heart's blood blint his e'e, e'e
His heart's blood blint his e'e

He's broken four o this man's ribs
His arm and his collar bane
And he's fired upon the seven foresters
And he's killed them a' but ane, ane
And he's killed them a' but ane

Johnnie's guid benbow lies broke
And his twa grey dogs lie slain
And his body lies in Monymusk
And his huntin' days are dane, dane
And his huntin' days are dane

Source: JSD BAND 'For the Record' Village Music Records.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: jsd band's johnny o'braidislea #114
From: Roberto
Date: 18 Sep 05 - 08:09 AM

Thank you, Stewie, but the main points where I have problems in getting the words seem to be different from the text of this later recording. I could send, to you or somebody willing to help me, a file with the song... R

Subject: ADD: Johnny o' Breadislea (#114, from JSD
From: Roberto
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 04:20 PM

With Stewie's help, we are now close to get it, but we still miss a line in 6th stanza...

JOHNNY O' BREADISLEA
[as recorded by JSD Band (Cube Records Hifly 11, 1972)]

Johnny rose on a May morning
Called for water to wash his hands -
Gae lowse to me my twa grey dogs
That lie bound in iron bands, bands
That lie bound in iron bands

When Johnny's mither she heard o' this
Her hands for dule she did wrang
Saying – Johnnie, for your venison
Tae the green woods dae no gang, gang
Tae the green woods dae no gang

But he has ta'en his guid benbow
And his arrows yin by yin
And he's awa to the greenwood gate
Tae ding the dun deer doon, doon
Tae ding the dun deer doon

The first shot that Johnny fired
It wounded her in the side
And between the water and the woods
The grey dogs laid her pride, pride
The grey dogs laid her pride

But by there came a silly auld man
And an ill old swine was he
For he's awa tae Esslemont
The King seven foresters to see, see
The King seven foresters to see

Then up there came the seven foresters
(???? sounds like "Said - Hie my noble billy" ????)
Can this be Johnny O'Breadislea
Upon him we will drie, drie
Upon him we will drie

The first shot that the forester fired
It wounded him in the knee
And the next shot that the forester fired
His heart's blood blint his ee, ee
His heart's blood blint his ee

He's broken four o this man's ribs
His arm and his collar bane
And he's set his body across his horse
And he's killed them a' but ane, ane
And he's killed them a' but ane

Johnnie's guid bend-bow lies broke
And his twa grey dogs lie slain
And his body lies in Monymusk
And his huntin' days are dane, dane
And his huntin' days are dane

Subject: Lyr Add: JOHNNY O' BREADISLEA (#114, from JSD Band
From: Abby Sale
Date: 01 Oct 05 - 05:00 PM

Likely they took it from MacColl's singing. Child A-G are pretty similar so that's hard to tell.   Ah, I'll paste the whole thing again. Gives several of the misses in each. Can't think why there should be a 'did' in verse 2. People drop in extra words. Or, does the JSD Band speak Ballad Scots? Could be they thought wrang meany 'wrong' & were trying to make sense of it. That's the folk (Mondegreen) process for you.

Johnnie rose up in the May morning
Called for water to wash his hands
Says "Gae lowse tae me my twa grey dogs
That lie bound in iron bands
That lie bound in iron bands."

When Johnnie's mother heard of this
Her hands for dule she wrang
Says, "Johnnie for your venison
To the green wood dinna gang."

There's seven foresters in Monymusk,
In Monymusk do dwell;
And for just one drop o' thy hairt's bleed
They would ride the fords o' hell

But he has ta'en his guid bend-bow
His arrows one by one
And he's awa' to the greenwood gane,
To ding the dun deer doon

Johnnie shot and the dun deer lap,
And he wounded her on the side;
And atween the water and the woods,
The grey dogs laid her pride

They ate so much o' the venison
And drank so much o' the bleed,
That Johnnie and his twa grey dogs,
Fell asleep as they'd been deid.

By there cam a silly auld man,
An ill death may he dee;
And he's awa' to Esslemont
The seven foresters for to see.

"As I cam' in by Monymusk,
And doon amang yon scrogs,
There I saw the bonniest youth,
Lyin' sleepin' atween twa dogs.

The buttons that were on his sleeves
Were o' the gowd sae guid,
The twa dogs that he say atween,
Their mouths were dyed wi' bleed."

Then oot and spak' the first forester,
He was heaadsman ower them a',
"Gin this this be Jock o' Braidiesley,
Unto him we will draw."

The first shot that the forester fired,
It wounded him on the knee;
The nexst shot that the forester fired
His heart's bleed blin't his e'e.

Then up rose Johnnie oot o' his sleep,
And an angry man was he;
Says, "Ye micht hae waukened me frae my sleep,
For my heart's blood blins my e'e."

He has leaned his back against an oak,
His foot against a stone,
And he has fired at the seven foresters,
And he's killed them all but one.

His has broken four o' this man's ribs,
His arm and his collar bone,
And he has set him on to his horse,,
To carry the tidings home.

Johnnie's guid bend-bow is broke,
And his twa grey dogs are slain;
And his body lies in Monymusk,
And his huntin; days are deen. (done)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Johnny o' Breadislea (#114, from JSD Band
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 03 Oct 05 - 02:09 PM

An alternative middle piece of the ballad picked up over the years

Aff there went the silly auld man
And an ill deeth may he dee,
For he has gone tae the King's foresters,
Ta tell on puir Johnny

What news, what news, my silly auld man,
What news do you bring to me,
Na news, na news my King'd forester,
But what mine eyes did see

As I cam in by Monymusk,
And doon amang yon scrogs,
There I spied the bonniest youth,
Sleeping atween twa dogs,

The buttons that were on his coat,
Were of the gowd sae guid,
And the twa dogs that he lay atween,
Their mouths were dyed with blood

Then up and spak the first forester,
And an angry man was he,
If that is Johnny o'Braidiesley,
My faith will gar him dee

But up and spak the second forester,
And a wise, wise man was he,
(And a sisters son was he)
If that is Johnny o'Braidiesley,
Then I will leave him be

I more or less learned the song from the ballad singer John Revie (where are you now?)who was of the opinion that the final verse regarding "Johnnie's guid bent bow is brak etc" devalued the heroics in the ballad and therefore he and an number of other singers end the ballad with Johnny vowing "ta hunt mair"