Get Up and Bar the Door
Encyclopedia
Get Up and Bar the Door is a medieval Scots
ballad about a battle of wills between a husband and wife. It is Child ballad 275. According to Child, it was first published by David Herd.
that the wife has just made. The husband and wife watch them, but still neither speaks out of stubborn pride
. Amazed, one original version you get the impression the gentlemen wants the to cut of the gentlemens beard however in the other version it is proposed(possibly refers to cutting husbands beard or his throat) and kiss the wife. Finally, the husband shouts "Ye’ve eaten my bread, ye hae druken my ale
, and ye’ll mak my auld wife (first version kiss wife) second version a whore!" The wife responds "Ye hae spoke the first word. Get up and bar the door."
In some versions, the husband is named as Johnie Blunt of Crawford Moor. Child notes that the song was used by Prince Hoare to provide one of the principal scenes in his musical entertainment, No Song, No Supper, performed at Drury Lane in 1790.
Among many things, this folk ballad talks about the sense of lasting competition in a relationship. The man tries to maintain his power but the woman refuses because she does not want to be treated like a doormat. The ballad makes the point that being stubborn has no benefits, by being stubborn they lost pudding and subjected their possessions to be stolen.
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
ballad about a battle of wills between a husband and wife. It is Child ballad 275. According to Child, it was first published by David Herd.
Synopsis
The song begins with the wife busy in her cooking and other chores. As the wind picks up, the husband tells her to close and bar the door, but she insists that he do it himself. They make a pact that the next person who speaks must bar the door, and the door remains open. At midnight two Gentlemen (some versions say thieves) enter the house and eat the puddingPudding
Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish.In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.In the United Kingdom and...
that the wife has just made. The husband and wife watch them, but still neither speaks out of stubborn pride
Pride
Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
. Amazed, one original version you get the impression the gentlemen wants the to cut of the gentlemens beard however in the other version it is proposed(possibly refers to cutting husbands beard or his throat) and kiss the wife. Finally, the husband shouts "Ye’ve eaten my bread, ye hae druken my ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
, and ye’ll mak my auld wife (first version kiss wife) second version a whore!" The wife responds "Ye hae spoke the first word. Get up and bar the door."
In some versions, the husband is named as Johnie Blunt of Crawford Moor. Child notes that the song was used by Prince Hoare to provide one of the principal scenes in his musical entertainment, No Song, No Supper, performed at Drury Lane in 1790.
Among many things, this folk ballad talks about the sense of lasting competition in a relationship. The man tries to maintain his power but the woman refuses because she does not want to be treated like a doormat. The ballad makes the point that being stubborn has no benefits, by being stubborn they lost pudding and subjected their possessions to be stolen.
Recordings
- Martin CarthyMartin CarthyMartin Carthy MBE is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days...
- Shearwater (as "John Blunt") - Ewan MacCollEwan MacCollEwan MacColl was an English folk singer, songwriter, socialist, actor, poet, playwright, and record producer. He was married to theatre director Joan Littlewood, and later to American folksinger Peggy Seeger. He collaborated with Littlewood in the theatre and with Seeger in folk music...
sang it on "The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Volume I" (1956) - Maddy Prior and June Tabor sang it on "No More to the Dance" as "The Barring