paper of/and pins

[Baker, John]

        The versions familiar to me end either with the lady accepting
the key to his chest (in which case the man then will have nothing to do
with her) or with the lady rejecting that but accepting the key to his
heart (with happy results).  According to Newell, Games and Songs of
American Children 51 - 55 (1902),
http://books.google.com/books?id=yWYKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA53&dq=%22paper+of+pin
s%22, in English versions the gifts themselves win the lady over, while
in Scottish versions the suitor is the Evil One in person.  Newell also
says that older versions refer to a "pennorth of pins," which may give
some idea of the expenditure involved (bear in mind that a poor family
could then be sustained on 20 pounds a year).  Papers of pins themselves
go back at least to the 18th century.  The Traditional Ballad Index
lists this song under The Keys of Canterbury,
http://www.csufresno.edu/folklore/ballads/R354.html.


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Arnold Zwicky
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 10:48 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: paper of/and pins

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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