LL-L: "Songs" LOWLANDS-L, 15.OCT.1999 (05) [E]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 15.OCT.1999 (05) * ISSN 1089-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: john feather <johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: Songs

Concerning the song "Wap and Rowe" Sandy wrote:

>>By the way, this song illustrates one of the things I find most puzzling
about the Merry Muses - a very large proportion of the songs seem to be
written from a woman's point of view! Why should that be?<<

I wonder if this song and others like it depend on double entendre. There is
a tradition of the "innocent" girl using the device, as in Victorian
music-hall songs. Marie Lloyd sang "She sits among the cabbages and peas"
which was regarded as somewhat obscene by the powers that be, so she changed
it to "She sits among the cabbages and leeks", which was found acceptable!
There are more sexually explicit ones than this.

If  I'm right in thinking that the title refers to weaving, "thumpin" might,
besides meaning "buxom", refer either to the knocking of the shuttle to make
the "rowe" or the sound of the treddle/treadle or warp frame.

John Feather
johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk

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