Dol-li-a

DESCRIPTION: "Fresh I cum frae Sandgate Steet, Dol-li, dol-li, Maw best freends here to meet, Dol-li-a, Dol-li the dillen dol...." "The Black Cuffs is gawn away, An' that'll be a crying day." "Dolly Coxon's pawned her shirt...." "The Green Cuffs is cummin' in...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1812 (Bell, _Rhymes of the Northern Bards_)
KEYWORDS: clothes soldier nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(England(North))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Stokoe/Reay-SongsAndBalladsOfNorthernEngland, pp. 86-87, "Dol-li-a" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, DOLLIA
Roud #2611
NOTES [89 words]: This apparently refers to a situation where one British regiment left town and another replaced it, with the Black Cuffs and Green Cuffs being references to their uniforms. Without further details, though, I can't determine the historical situation.
The text in Bell's Rhymes of the Northern Bards bears the description "A song famous in Newcastle about the Years 1792-3-4" which implies that this might have something to do with the Glorious Revolution -- but since there are no Orange cuffs, the information is not much help. - RBW
File: StoR086

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