Annotation:Wembalo
X:1 T:Wembalo O:Cornwall M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Air B:Merv Davey - Hengen (1983) K:D A|df/e/ dF/G/|A/B/A/F/ D2|ee/f/ gf/e/|e/d/c/B/ A/G/F/G/| Af dA/A/|B/c/d/B/ AF/F/|e/e/A/A/ g/g/f|e/A/B/c/ d||
WEMBALO. English, Air (2/4 time). England, Cornwall. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. The song air "Wembalo" was contributed to the journal Old Cornwall in 1942 by Mr. C.C. James of Gwennap, who remarked:
The above, which I have never heard outside of Gwennap, is a variant of a familiar folk song, with a changed refrain and another tune. The refrain has here become pure nonsense, but the suggestion made by one of the better know versions is that it may have represented the calling of the horses by name in driving them
With my whim wham waddle ho! Strim stram straddle ho! Bubble Ho! Pretty boy, over the brow.
A non-Cornish refrain more like the above has the words ‘blowsey boys buble oh, under the broom.”
