Wembalo
Item
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Title
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Wembalo
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key
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D
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Description
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The earliest mention of this tune is from Old Cornwall, III, vol. 12, p. 521 published in 1942.
The lyrics to Wembalo are as follows:
1. My father he died and I cannot tell you how,
He left me six horses to follow with the plough.
With my whim whim wembalo,
Drowsy boys in benbalo,
Little boys in benbalo, living near the bloom.
2. I sold out my horses and I bought myself a cow,
Thought I to myself, I will milk a dairy now.
With my, etc.
3. I sold out my cow and I bought myself a calf,
Thought I to myself, I've been losing one half.
With my, etc.
4. I sold out my calf and I bought myself a cat
And round the kitchen fire the pretty pussy sat.
With my, etc.
5. I sold out my cat and bought myself a mouse,
He caught his tail on fire and he burnt down the
house.
With my, etc.
The description by C. C. James in Old Cornwall (1942) says:
"The above, which I never heard outside of Gwennap, is a local variant of a familiar folk-song, with a changed refrain and another tune.
The refrain has here become pure nonsense, but the suggestion made by one of it the better-known versions is that may once have represented the calling of the horses by name in driving them - 'With my whim wham waddle ho! Strim stram straddle ho ! Bubble ho! pretty boy, over the brow." A non-Cornish refrain more like the above has the words, "Blowsey boys buble oh, under the broom."
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Rights Holder
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Traditional
