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When I was a Young Man

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Alternative title: The Drunkard

Performer: Smith, Wiggy
Place Collected: Elmstone Hardwicke
Date collected: 1995 (11 Aug)
Collector: Davies, Gwilym
Roud Number: 1165

 

This is a rare song and has been collected a mere handful of times. One can speculate that being mistreated by a pub landlady was not a new experience for many gypsies. Apart from the Gloucestershire versions collected from Wiggy Smith and Charles Messenger, it was also sung by the Gloucestershire gypsy Maurice Smith.

Notes by Gwilym Davies 1 July 2015