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Black Jack Davy
Song Black Jack Davey

'The Gypsy Laddie' (Roud1, Child200), also known as 'Black Jack Davy' and'The Raggle Taggle Gypsies' among many other titles, is a Scottishtraditionalfolk ballad^[1],possibly written about 1720. The ballad has often been used andrecorded in many different variations in Scotland and England from the 18th century, the United States, Canada from the 19th century, andIreland from the 1970s.

Bob Dylan Song Black Jack Davey A Complete(ish) Bob Dylan Songbook with lyrics and chords for guitar, ukulele banjo etc. Also with PDF for printing.

This version of the traditional song Black Jack Davy presents a fun opportunity to practice acoustic strumming in an energetic song, with four chords. A good place to start in learning this song is to make sure you are up to speed with these chord changes, as the song moves at quite a clip. Listen to the song a few times to get the feel of it. The core of the song's story is that a lady forsakes a life of luxury to run off with a band of gypsies. In some versions there is one individual, named, for example as Johnny Faa or Black Jack Davy.

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Bob Dylan - Blackjack Davey Lyrics. Black Jack Davey come ridin' on back A whistlin' loud and merry Made the woods around him ring And he charmed the heart of a lady Charmed th.

3Alternative titles
4Relation to otherfolk traditions
7Cross references

History

Francis James Child's compilation,the five-volume The English and Scottish Popular Ballads(1882–1898), provides an excellent history of this ballad.The Gypsy Laddie is ballad number 200 in the collection,and Child describes that the printed versions of this balladprobably date back to at least 1720 and is traditional Scottishfolk tune.^[2] Theearliest known printing was in Tea Table Miscellany(1740). 'Lady Cassilles' Lilt' (aka 'Johnny Faa, the GypsieyLaddie') is among the Skene manuscripts from the 17thcentury.^[3]

Nick Tosches inhis Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'N' Roll, spendspart of his first chapter examining the song's history. He comparesthe song's narrative to the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The ballad, according to Tosches, retells the storyof John Faw, a 17th century outlaw, described as a Scottish Gypsy, and LadyJane Hamilton, wife of John Kennedy, 6th Earlof Cassilis. Lord Cassilis led a band of men (some sources say16, other 7) to abduct her. They were caught and hanged on the'Dool Tree' in 1643. The 'Gypsies' were killed (except for one, whoescaped) and Lady Jane Hamilton was imprisoned for the remainder ofher life, dying in 1642.

Robert Burnsused the song in his Reliques of Robert Burns; consistingchiefly of original letters, poems, and critical observations onScottish songs (1808).

Description

The song tells of a Gypsy who tries, successfully, to charmthe unmarried daughter of a squire. He promises her wealth and shegoes off with him. When the squire comes home and discovers whathas happened he rides off in search of his daughter, and after along chase he finds her. The final encounter is where the daughterrefuses to come home, saying 'What care I for your fine feathersheets?'

In other versions she is married, and her lord comes home tofind his lady 'gone with the gypsy laddie.' He saddles his fastesthorse to follow her. He finds her and bids her come home, asking'Would you forsake your husband and child?' She will not return,preferring the cold ground and the gypsy's company to her lord'swealth and fine bed.

In another version the gypsy has six brothers, and when thesquire has caught up with them he has all seven of the raggletaggle Gypsies hanged. In some versions the gypsy turns out to begenuinely wealthy. The song 'Lizzie Lindsay' hasa similar theme. Robert Burns adapted the song into 'SweetTibby Dunbar,' a shorter version of the story.

There is also children's version by Elizabeth Mitchell whichhas lyrical content changed to be about a young girl 'charminghearts of the ladies', and sailing 'across the deep blue sea, wherethe skies are always sunny'.

Although the hero of this song is often called 'Johnny Faa' oreven 'Davy Faa,' he should not be confused with the hero/villain of'Davy Faa (Remember the Barley Straw).' [Silber and Silbermisidentify all their texts] as deriving from 'Child 120,' which isactually 'Robin Hood's Death.' According toThe Faber Book of Ballads the name Faa was commonamong Gypsies in the 17th century.

Alternativetitles

'Black Jack Davy'
'Black Jack Davey'
'Black Jack David'
'Blackjack David'
'Clayton Boone'
'The Gypsy Davy'
'The Gypsy Rover'
'Johnny Faa'
'Davy Faa'
'The Raggle Taggle Gipsies'
'The Raggle Taggle Gypsies'
'The Wraggle Taggle Gypsy'
'The Lady and the Gypsy'
'Three Gypsies'
'Harrison Brady'
'Gypson Davy'
'Gypsy Davey'
'Black-Eyed Davy'
'Black Eyed Daisy'
'Black-eyed Gypsy'
'The Heartless Lady'
'Egyptian Davio'
'It Was Late in the Night'
'When Johnny Came Home'
'The Gyps of Davy'
'The Dark-Clothed Gypsy'
'Seven Yeller Gypsies'
'Black Jack Baby'

Relation to other folktraditions

The theme of the wandering gypsy or labourer is frequently foundin folk music (e.g. an Irish language song called 'An SpailpínFánach' has an Irish Traveller or a seasonallabourer).

Recordings

Cliff Carlisle, 'Black Jack David' (Decca 5732, 1939)
CarterFamily, 'Black Jack David' (Conqueror 9574, 1940)
WoodyGuthrie, 'Gypsy Davy' (on A Treasury of Library of CongressField Recordings, 1941)
O. J. Abbott, 'The Gypsy Daisy'
John JacobNiles, 'The Gypsy Laddie' (on Sings American FolkSongs, ?1956)
(on Irish and British Songs from the Ottawa Valley,1961, recorded 1957)

- Pete Seeger,'Gypsy Davy' (on Pete Seeger Sings American Ballads,1957)

Harry Jackson, 'Clayton Boone' (on The Cowboy: His Songs,Ballads & Brag Talk, 1957)
Burl Ives 'TibbyDunbar' (on In the Quiet of the Night, 1958)
Mary Jo Davis, 'Black Jack Davy' (on Folk MusicU.S.A., 1959)
Harry Cox, JeannieRobertson, Paddy Doran [composite] 'The Gypsy Laddie' (as 'TheGypsie Laddie'),
(on Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales:Classis Ballads of Britain and Ireland, vol 2, 2000,originally issued in shorter form in 1961)
Jean Ritchie,'Gypsy Laddie' (on British Traditional Ballads in the SouthernMountains, vol 1, 1961)
Tossi Aaron, 'Gypsy Davy' (on Philadelphia Folk Festival,vol. 2, Prestige/International 13072, 1962)
Margaret MacArthur, 'Gypsy Davy' (on Folk songs ofVermont, 1963)
Maire Aine Ni Dhonnchadha, 'The Gypsy-O'
(on Traditional Music of Ireland, vol 2: Songs and Dancesfrom Down, Kerry and Clare, 1963)
Lawrence Older, 'Gypsy Davy' (on Adirondack Songs, Balladsand Fiddle Tunes, 1963)
New Lost City Ramblers, 'BlackJack David'
(on The New Lost City Ramblers, vol 4, 1962);

(also 'Black Jack Daisy' (on Remembrance of Things toCome, 1966)

Warren Smith, 'Black Jack David'(Sun 250, 1956)
Tommy Makem(solo), 'The Whistling Gypsy' (On Folk Songs AndMinstrelsy, Vanguard Records, 1960)
TheClancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, 'The Whistling Gypsy' (OnThe Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem, Columbia Records,1961)
The ChadMitchell Trio, 'The Whistling Gypsy Rover' (On Mighty DayOn Campus, Kapp Records, 1961)
TheKingston Trio, 'The Gypsy Rover' (On Close-Up, CapitolRecords, 1961)
The Highwaymen, 'GypsyRover' (1961)
Barbara Dane,'Gypsy Davy' (on When

Who Was Black Jack Davey