Stanley MacDonald - Roger the Miller (009-01)

This song is about Roger and his near-marriage to a beautiful girl named Kate. After Roger's greed is revealed at the wedding supper, he is tossed out, and the wedding is called off.

This song is sung a cappella. The last word of the song, "Kate", is spoken, not sung. This song appears elsewhere in the Manny collection as (103-08). The only difference between this recorded and the published versions is that in the first stanza Manny writes fine linens and rings and then fine ribbons and gowns whereas MacDonald sings fine ribbons both times, never linens .

## Lyrics

Lyrics as transcribed from this recording:

Roger the miller came courting of late,

A farmer’s young daughter called beautiful Kate,

She had for a fortune fine ribbons and rings,

She had a fortune yes five hundred things

she had for fortune fine ribbons and gowns,

she had for a fortune,

she had for a fortune yes five hundred pounds.

oh the wedding been ready the supper set down,

oh what a fine fortune this five hundreds pound,

when up speaks young Roger “I vow and declare

although that your daughter is charming and fair

I wont have your daughter,  I vow and declare

I wont have your daughter, I wont have your daughter without the gray mare.”

oh up speaks her father unto him with speed,

“I thought that you’d marry my daughter indeed,

now since that I’ve found out that things they are so,

once more in my pocket my money shall go

you wont have my  daughter, I vow and declare,

you wont have my daughter, you wont have my daughter nor yet the gray mare.”

oh the money being vanished went out of his sight,

and so did miss Katie his love and delight,

young roger the scoundrel was kicked out of doors,

and told to be gone and return there no more,

so away he went tearing his long yellow hair,

and wished he had never, and wished he had never spoke of the gray mare.

oh three years passed and gone till one day on the street,

oh who did  chance but his Katie to meet,

“Good morning, Miss Katie do you not know me?”

“Oh yes, sir” she said “I have seen you before

or one one of your likeness with long yellow hair,

who once came  a-courting, who once came  a-courting my father’s gray mare.”

“Oh indeed miss Katie you are much to blame,

it was for the courting of you that I came,

for to think hat your father would have nor dispute,

to give unto me the gray mare for boot,

before he would part with his dear lovely sun

for now I am sorry, for now I am sorry for what I have done.”

“Oh your troubles” said Katie “I value them not,

there is plenty more in this town to be got,

for to think that a man would be in despair,

to marry a girl for the sake of a mare,

the price of a mare it was never so great,

so fare you well, Roger, so fare you well, Roger go mourn for your Kate.”

## Sources

Another recording of this song (also sung by Stanley MacDonald) appears on the Smithsonian Folkways album Folksongs of the Miramichi . This song appears in Louise Manny and James Reginald Wilson eds. Songs of Miramichi Brunswick Press Fredericton, N.B. pg. 281 and also in Edward Ives ed. Folksongs of New Brunswick Goose Lane Editions Ltd., Fredericton pg. 54.

009-01