The Waggoner's Lad
Bert Jansch Lyrics
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Oh hard is the fortune of all womankind
They're always controlled, they're always confined
Confined by their parents until they are wives
Then slaves to their husbands for the rest of their lives
Oh I am a poor girl, my fortune is sad
I've always been courted by the Wagoner's Lad
He's courted me daily, by night and by day
And now he is loaded and going away
"Your parents don't like me because I am poor
They say I'm not worthy of entering your door
But I work for a living, my money's my own
And if they don't like it, they can leave me alone"
"Your horses are hungry, go feed them some hay
Come sit down beside me as long as you stay"
"My horses ain't hungry, they won't eat your hay
So fare thee well darling I'll be on my way"
Oh hard is the fortune of all womankind
They're always controlled, they're always confined
Confined by their parents until they are wives
Then slaves to their husbands for the rest of their lives
The lyrics of Bert Jansch's song The Waggoner's Lad convey the hardship and limitation that women face in their lives. The song speaks about the unfortunate fate of women, who are controlled and confined throughout their lives. The first two lines capture the essence of the song, highlighting that women have little control over their lives. The lyrics further explain that women are confined by their parents until they get married, and then they become slaves to their husbands for the rest of their lives.
The song tells the story of a woman who is in love with the Wagoner's Lad. She has been courted by him daily and now that he's accumulated some wealth, he's leaving. The lyrics of the third verse convey the classism that exists in society. The woman's parents do not approve of the Wagoner's Lad because he is poor. They feel he is not deserving of their daughter. The Wagoner's Lad, however, is proud of his hard-earned money and is not willing to compromise himself to please his girlfriend's parents.
The concluding verse reasserts the grim reality of women's lives in society. Women are subject to the authority of their parents, and when they get married, they are controlled by their husbands. The song is a melancholic take on the social constraints that women have historically endured.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh hard is the fortune of all womankind
It's tough being a woman in this world
They're always controlled, they're always confined
Women are often restricted and constrained
Confined by their parents until they are wives
Parents limit their daughters' freedom until they're married
Then slaves to their husbands for the rest of their lives
After marriage, women become subservient to their husbands forever
Oh I am a poor girl, my fortune is sad
I'm a poor girl and my life is unhappy
I've always been courted by the Wagoner's Lad
The Wagoner's Lad has always courted me
He's courted me daily, by night and by day
He's been wooing me constantly
And now he is loaded and going away
But now he's leaving, with his possessions packed
"Your parents don't like me because I am poor
Your parents disapprove of me because I'm not wealthy
They say I'm not worthy of entering your door
They think I'm not good enough for you
But I work for a living, my money's my own
I'm a hard-working man and I earn my own money
And if they don't like it, they can leave me alone"
If they have a problem with that, they can mind their own business
"Your horses are hungry, go feed them some hay
Your horses need to be fed, go take care of them
Come sit down beside me as long as you stay"
But while you're here, sit beside me
"My horses ain't hungry, they won't eat your hay
My horses aren't hungry, they don't need your help
So fare thee well darling I'll be on my way"
So goodbye, my love, I must be leaving
Contributed by Kennedy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@FuckYouWhosNext
Ah caught you smiling at me,
That's the way it should be,
Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine
Ah all the good times we had,
I sang love songs so glad
Always smiling, never sad, so fine
As we walk down the country lanes,
I'll be singing a song, hear me calling your name
Hear the wind within the trees,
Telling mother nature 'bout you and me
Well if the sunshine's so bright,
Or on our way it's darkest night
The road we choose is always right, so fine
Ah can your love be so strong
When so many loves go wrong
Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on?
As we walk down the country lanes,
I'll be singing a song, Hear me calling your name
Hear the wind within the trees,
Telling mother nature 'bout you and me
My, my la de la come on now it ain't too far,
Tell…
@clownsandjugglers
“Probably my greatest influence on acoustic guitar is Bert Jansch, who was a real dream-weaver. He was incredibly original when he first appeared, and I wish now that he`d gone back to things like `Jack Orion` once again. His first album had a great affect on me." (Jimmy Page, NME 1973) On the plus side, in the pre internet days when accessing music wasn't as easy as entering names in search engines, how many of us were directed towards Jansch's records by Page's enthusiasm?
@jimmaculate3802
we had his first one when it came out. back then, we knew about everything on elektra and vanguard records in the states.
@curb9034
@Jimmaculate Jimmy Page saying someone isn’t original my lord
@jackorion7157
Not me. I, like many others, heard of Bert from listening to folk music where's he's a big figure.
@imdabigdilfdondodah5689
@Jack Orion ur so special
@jackorion7157
It's stupid to attribute Bert's success and popularity to Jimmy Page even though Bert had success with his band Pentangle before Led Zeppelin. Most fans of fingerstyle guitar and folk music should be aware of Bert for his innovative playing regardless of Jimmy Page. Also stealing someones music and making them popular doesn't cancel out the crime, a lot of artists don't care about fame. Although I wouldn't say Jimmy stole the Waggoner's Lad only Black Waterside
@boneyween
Jimmy Page introduced me to folk music as a kid. I don't listen to Led Zeppelin anywhere near as much as I used to, but folk music is my music now and probably always will be. Say what you want about Page/LZ, I know thousands of other people will have the same story as I. R.I.P Berty <3
@merrillhess5626
In the documentary about Bert called Acoustic Routes (posted to Youtube), Bert said Page really plays folk music but it comes out as rock and probably doesn't realize that is what he is doing.
@papatango2453
Great guy, I had a piss with him in late '95 at the Press Club, Glasgow... before he went out and played to about 16 of us... Latterly he was filling out bigger venues.... I was privileged to see Bert 4 times before the genius left us about 10 years ago....... 10/10!!
@gilsongoulart1974
Muito Bom !!