The stories La tells....

I decided that by now folks might be ready for me to blog about something other than recycling.
Although I must warn you that I have 3 more recycling blogs in draft form (cue evil laughter) just waiting be unleashed.
But I figured a change would be nice.
So we have The Darby Ram.
Why? Because it's a fun storysong.
And...why not?
(BTW, although this is a great song for kids, there are a few versions or verses that are definitely more for adults, I added a link for one at the end if the blog)

The Darby or Derby Ram was originally an English folk song.
Basically, it tells the story of a humongous ram and the problems of butchering it and other outrageous lies about how large it was.

according to Wiki:
Llewellyn Jewitt wrote about the song in his The Ballads and Songs of Derbyshire of 1867, asserting that song had been alluded to for at least a century before that.
The song and the association of a ram with the town of Derby has been incorporated by a number of groups based there.
The song was also adapted by the English composer John Wall Callcott (1766-1821) into a 3 part glee "As I was going to Derby".

Like many English folk tunes, it made it's way to America and was....Americanized. In other words, we probably forgot all the words or the true meaning of them and just changed it around until it was relevant to our surroundings.
There are so many different versions of the lyrics, and even minor variations in the tune, that it would be impossible to name them all.
What started out as an English folk song became a ragtime classic and even a jazz classic, called "Oh Didn't He Ramble."
(I really like Louie Armstrong's and Harry Connick Jr's versions of "Didn't He Ramble")

I have included four versions of the song here.
And a video of the Darby Ram sung by Mickey and Elizabeth.


The following version is the one transcribed by Llewellynn Jewitt in The Ballads and Songs of Derbyshire (1867).
As I was going to Darby, Sir,
All on a market day,
I met the finest Ram, Sir,
That ever was fed on hay.

Daddle-i-day, daddle-i-day,
Fal-de-ral, fal-de-ral, daddle-i-day.

This Ram was fat behind, Sir,
This Ram was fat before,
This Ram was ten yards high, Sir,
Indeed he was no more.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

The Wool upon his back, Sir,
Reached up unto the sky,
The Eagles made their nests there, Sir,
For I heard the young ones cry.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

The Wool upon his belly, Sir,
It dragged upon the ground,
It was sold in Darby town, Sir,
For forty thousand pound.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

The space between his horns, Sir,
Was as far as a man could reach,
And there they built a pulpit
For the Parson there to preach.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

The teeth that were in his mouth, Sir,
Were like a regiment of men;
And the tongue that hung between them, Sir,
Would have dined them twice and again.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

This Ram jumped o'er a wall, Sir,
His tail caught on a briar,
It reached from Darby town, Sir,
All into Leicestershire.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

And of this tail so long, Sir,
'Twas ten miles and an ell,
They made a goodly rope, Sir,
To toll the market bell.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

This Ram had four legs to walk on, Sir,
This Ram had four legs to stand,
And every leg he had, Sir,
Stood on an acre of land.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

The Butcher that killed this Ram, Sir,
Was drownded in the blood,
And the boy that held the pail, Sir,
Was carried away in the flood.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

All the maids in Darby, Sir,
Came begging for his horns,
To take them to coopers,
To make them milking gawns.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

The little boys of Darby, Sir,
They came to beg his eyes,
To kick about the streets, Sir,
For they were football size.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

The tanner that tanned its hide, Sir,
Would never be poor any more,
For when he had tanned and retched it,
It covered all Sinfin Moor.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

The Jaws that were in his head, Sir,
They were so fine and thin,
They were sold to a Methodist Parson,
For a pulpit to preach in.

Daddle-i-day, &c.

Indeed, Sir, this is true, Sir,
I never was taught to lie,
And had you been to Darby, Sir,
You'd have seen it as well as I.

Daddle-i-day, daddle-i-day,
Fal-de-ral, fal-de-ral, daddle-i-day.


THE DARBY RAM
As I went down to Darby, Sir, 'twas on a market day,
I saw the finest ram, Sir, that ever was fed on hay.

Chorus:
And indeed, Sir, 'tis true, Sir, I never was taught to lie,
And if you'd been to Darby, Sir, you'd have seen him the same as I.

He had four feet to walk on, Sir, he had four feet to stand
And every foot he had, Sir, did cover an acre of land.

Repeat Chorus

The horns that grew on his head, Sir, they grew up to the sky,
And eagles built their nests there, for I heard the young ones cry.

Repeat Chorus

The wool that grew on his tail, Sir, filled more than fifty bags,
You'd better keep away, Sir, when that tail shakes and wags.

Repeat Chorus

The tail that hung behind him, was fifty yards and an ell
And that was sent to Darby, to ring the town church bell

Repeat Chorus

The man that killed the ram, Sir, was drowned, Sir, in the flood,
The boy who held the bowl, Sir, was washed away by blood.

Repeat Chorus

The man that owned the ram, Sir, I think is very rich,
And the boy who wrote this song, Sir, is a lying son of a bitch

Repeat Chorus


THE DARBY RAM
As I was going to Darby
Upon a market day,
I saw the biggest ram, sir,
That ever was fed on hay,
That ever was fed on hay.

The ram was fat behind, sir,
The ram was fat before.
He measured ten yards round, sir,
I think it was no more, (twice)

And he who knocked this ram down
Was drowned in the blood,
And he who held the dish, sir,
Was carried away by the flood, (twice)

The wool grew on his back, sir,
It reached to the sky.
And there the eagles built their nests,
I heard the young ones cry. (twice)

And all the boys in Darby, sir,
Came begging for his eyes,
To kick about the street, sir,
As any good football flies, (twice)

The wool grew on his belly, sir,
It reached to the ground.
It was sold in Darby Town, sir,
For forty thousand pound, (twice)

The wool upon his tail, sir,
Filled more than fifty bags.
You'd better keep away, sir,
When that tail shakes and wags, (twice)

The horns upon his head, sir,
As high as a man could reach,
And there they built a pulpit, sir,
The Quakers for to preach, (twice)

And one of this ram's teeth, sir,
Was hollow as a horn;
And when they took its measure, sir,
It held a bushel of corn, (twice)

The mutton that the ram made
Gave the whole Army meat,
And what was left, I'm told, sir,
Was served out to the fleet, (twice)

The man who owned this ram, sir,
Was considered mighty rich,
But the man who told this story, sir,
Was a lyin' son of a------. (twice)


THE DERBY RAM
V1: As I was going to Derby,
Upon a market day,
I saw the biggest ram, sir,
That ever was fed on hay,

Chorus: And didn't he ramble, ramble?
He rambled all round,
In and out of the town,
(Oh) didn't he ramble, ramble?
Well, he rambled ‘til them butchers cut him down.

V2: The wool upon his back, sir,
Was a hundred stories high,
'Twas there the eagles built their nest,
I heard the little ones cry,

(Chorus)

V3: The horns upon his head, sir,
They reached up to the sky,
A man climbed up in January
And didn't come down ‘til July,

Chorus:

V4: The wool upon his tail, sir,
Filled more than fifty bags,
You'd better not stand behind, sir
When that tail shakes and wags,

Chorus:

V5: The butcher that cut him down, sir,
Was drownded (sic) in the blood,
And the little boy
Who held the bowl,
Was washed away in the flood.

Chorus:

Derby Ram @ grandfolkies.com
Derby Ram published in 1867...folkplay.info
A more "adult" version of the Darby Ram can be found at Mudcat.org