English (145KB)

I went to Market

"I went to market" is a wonderful accumulative song which I transcribed from one of Wally Whyton's Folk Music programmes that had been taped in May 1983. Amongst my friends, this song is number 2 as was proved at a recent (April 1998) private musical gathering held at Peter Krüger's gallery, "Zeichnung und Malerie" in Vegesack. At the gathering, Steffi Lubrich and I did the song together (as you can hear and download). Unlike Going to the fair with my young man I noted that it was sung by the Watersons who gave, in my opinion, the definitive rendering.
In this version one buys a cock, hen, duck, goose, pig, sheep, cow and then finally a wife. That the wife says, "Dammit!", on being fed under a tree shouldn't actually surprise anyone. That audiences are always surprised always surprises me. At that point in the song there is always some laughter, grinning or giggling.
"I went to Market" has been recorded by:
 Geoff Grainger on "Ditty Box" 
 The Watersons on "Green Fields"