Annotation:Snow that Melts the Soonest (The)

---

X: 1 T:The Snow it Melts the Soonest C:Trad R:Air M:C Z:Horslips (Drive the Cold Winter Away) Z:It's in Em F:http://www.john-chambers.us/~jc/music/abc/mirror/kirby98.fsnet.co.uk/sn/Snow_it_Melts_the_Soonest_1.abc K:EDor L:1/8 EF | G2 B2 B3 c | d2 B4 BA | G2 E2 E3 F | E6 EF | G2 B2 B3 c | d6 ed | c2 A2 B2 ^G2 | A6 EF | G2 B2 B3 c | d2 d4 ed | c2 A2 A2 c2 | d4 =c4 | B2 E2 G3 A | B=c d2 c2 BA | B2 E2 E3 D | E8 |]

---

SNOW THAT MELTS THE SOONEST, THE. AKA and see "January Snows," "Snows (The)." English, Air . Collector John Stokoe noted: "This melody was picked up from a street singer in Newcastle, by Mr Thomas Doubleday and inserted in a contribution to 'Blackwood's Magazine' in 1821. He presumably was the author of the ballad.". The 'contribution' was article called "Letter from Mr. Shufflebotham: On Cheese, Civilization, North Country Ballads, &c" (pp. 443-446). The words printed in Blackwoods go:

O, the snow it melts the soonest when the winds begin to sing;

And the corn it ripens fastest when the frosts are setting in;

And when a woman tells me that my face she’ll soon forget,

Before we part, I wad a crown, she’s fain to follow’t yet.

The snow it melts the soonest when the wind begins to sing;

And the swallow skims without a thought as long as it is spring;

But when spring goes, and winter blows, my lass, an ye’ll be fain,

For all your pride, to follow me, were’t cross the stormy main.

O, the snow it melts the soonest when the wind begins to sing;

The bee that flew when summer shined, in winter cannot sting;

I’ve seen a woman’s anger melt between the night and morn,

And it’s surely not a harder thing to tame a woman’s scorn.

O, never say me farewell here -no farewell I’ll receive,

For you shall set me to the stile, and kiss and take your leave;

But I’ll stay here till the woodcock comes, and the martlet takes his wing,

Since the snow aye melts the soonest, lass, when the wind begins to sing.

'

Josiah Shufflebotham,Gowk's-Hall, Oct. 27th, 1821 (aka Mr. Thomas Doubleday)

0.00

(0 votes)