This humorous song has been found in numerous versions throughout the British Isles, sometimes known by the title ‘Our Goodman’. Not only that, but versions have been found in France, Germany and Scandinavia, while in North America there are even blues versions as well as the inevitable versions sung by the descendants of white settlers. It seems that the story of the husband coming home early each evening and finding compromising evidence about his wife’s infidelity has struck a chord in many societies. The humour, of course, revolves around the wife’s increasingly implausible explanations. The earliest known appearance of the song is on broadsides of the 1760’s but it is surely much older than that.
In 1967, Irish folk group, the Dubliners, entered the British Top Ten pop charts with their version of the song. However, I already knew what I considered to be a better version. In the early 60’s I had been organiser of the Imperial College Folk Club while bluffing my way through a degree course and one of our regular singers (though not himself a student) was a guy called Colin (sorry I can’t remember his surname). Colin often went home to his Berkshire village at weekends and he learned this song from some farming types who had a bit of a sing-song in their local pub on a Saturday night...so you might reasonably say that Colin collected this song.
Anyway, I latched onto Colin’s song and only later realised it was of such antiquity and so widespread. As for Colin, he married his girl friend and singing partner Judy and I regret that I lost touch with them decades ago but I thank him for the song and hope that he has never had to endure the experience of Our Goodman.
In 1967, Irish folk group, the Dubliners, entered the British Top Ten pop charts with their version of the song. However, I already knew what I considered to be a better version. In the early 60’s I had been organiser of the Imperial College Folk Club while bluffing my way through a degree course and one of our regular singers (though not himself a student) was a guy called Colin (sorry I can’t remember his surname). Colin often went home to his Berkshire village at weekends and he learned this song from some farming types who had a bit of a sing-song in their local pub on a Saturday night...so you might reasonably say that Colin collected this song.
Anyway, I latched onto Colin’s song and only later realised it was of such antiquity and so widespread. As for Colin, he married his girl friend and singing partner Judy and I regret that I lost touch with them decades ago but I thank him for the song and hope that he has never had to endure the experience of Our Goodman.