Two Lovers Discoursing [Laws O22]

DESCRIPTION: Mary accuses her lover of breaking his promise to marry her; he denies this and asks who has spread the rumor that he is courting Nancy. But he still will not wed, until Mary points out that even birds are truer than he is. He gives in; they are married
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1954 (Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs)
KEYWORDS: courting marriage promise infidelity
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar) Ireland
REFERENCES (7 citations):
Laws O22, "Two Lovers Discoursing"
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "LONG LOOKED FOR COME AT LAST"
Doerflinger-SongsOfTheSailorAndLumberman, pp. 316-317, "Two Lovers Discoursing" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs, p. 50, "Nancy's Courtship" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-FolksongsFromSouthernNewBrunswick 31, "The Most Unconstant of Young Men" (1 text, 1 tune); 39A, "The True Lovers' Discussion" (1 text, 1 tune)
Graham-Joe-Holmes-SongsMusicTraditionsOfAnUlsterman 76, "True Lovers' Discussion" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT 481, TWOLOVRS
Roud #991
NOTES [130 words]: Creighton-FolksongsFromSouthernNewBrunswick: "There must be some relation between 39A and B. The former seems to have originated with the folk and the latter to have been a literary composition taken over by the folk. They are placed together because of subject matter and also because singers give variants of the same title." If so they have grown so far apart that there is no hint in the words that they are related. For 39B see "The True Lovers' Discussion." - BS
It's interesting to note that both of the Creighton-FolksongsFromSouthernNewBrunswick versions of this song are from the same informant, but differ in both text and tune. Though it's perhaps not as exceptional as Creighton thinks; consider how many different versions *you* probably know of "The Gypsy Laddie." - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: LO22

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