paper of/and pins

[Barbara Need]

Arnold,

I don't know this particular song, but I am familiar with a paper of
pins. It is a sheet of paper with pins stuck through it. I don't know
if they come that way anymore, but I certainly remember using pins
stuck through a piece of paper. The paper had been folded so that the
pins had little ridges to go through, and I remember being very
careful to put the pins back through the holes.

Barbara

Barbara Need
Chicago

On 2 Mar 2009, at 9:47 AM, Arnold Zwicky wrote:

> there's a folksong that occurs in several variants, including a
> variation between "a paper of pins" and "paper and pins".  a man is
> wooing a woman, and promises her:
>
> I'll give  thee/you/to you  X ... if  you'll/you'll but/you will
> marry me
>
> the "a paper of pins" version is sometimes called "the Bus Stop song",
> because the recording of it by the Four Lads was featured in the movie
> Bus Stop (though the song is much older than that).  the "paper and
> pins" version has been recorded several times by the Clancy Brothers
> and Tommy Makem.
>
> both versions are somewhat opaque to me.  anyone know anything about
> the interpretation, or the history, of the song?
>
> arnold

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