Filk: Vilakins and His Dayna

[vilakins]

This is my second filk, written for b7_virtual_con. It's based on Villkins and His Dinah (yes, really), an old English song. It's worth looking at it for what must have been a radical notion back then that a young girl might have some right to choose a mate (or indeed not).

[Edit:] There's a different version here with words I like a bit better (though I based mine on the first version) and some background for the song. Thanks, reapermum.

This is an AU.

Vilakins and His Dayna

There was a blind rebel who on Sarran did live,
To his one daughter lots of small arms he did give.
She was called Dayna, just eighteen years old,
full of curiosity, and both brave and bold.

Chorus: Singing 'you and I roll-de-roll, roll-de-roll lay.

As Dayna was out stalking a Sarran one day,
her father did comm her, "Come home straight away!
Come and get dressed in your Grecian array,
for I've found you a husband both gallant and gay!"

"Oh, father, if you mean that Avon I met,
well, when you say 'gay', I don't think you quite get
what it means. Oh, father, do please be patient with me,
and let me go my own way, so fancy free."

"No deal, you young minx," her father replied.
"You have no choice but to be Avon's bride.
He fancies you and, I do think, our gold
And I'd rather give it all to him and live to be old."

As Vilakins was wandering by the seaside,
He saw Kerr Avon, sprawled dead in the tide.
His friend, he saw, was shot though the heart
"Avon!" he cried and to sob he did start.

"I'm sorry, Vilakins, but his life he gave
so we could live our own lives in our little cave,"
said Dayna. "And come, my love, back to our den.
Come and roll me over and do it again!"

Chorus: Singing 'you and I roll-de-roll, roll-de-roll lay.

Moral:

And now, all you guys, take warning from this.
You don't always win a sweet bride with a kiss.
And don't get between an armed woman and her love,
for sometimes the one who wins is the dove.

Comments

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

BWHA! Love it:)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Did you read the original? A very strange little song.

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Omg, I've known that song (the original) for ever and the pun never struck me! Go you!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

You know that song? Cool! I didn't till entropy_house found it on the web and mentioned it to me.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

Lots of us know the song, we learned it from the schools radio programmes when at primary school. I just assmed you knew it.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

LOL! (Though I suppose I'm being a little heartless regarding Avon.)

With regard to the original, I'd like to think that the lyricist's tongue was in his or her cheek when he/she wrote that moral. I think that there are quite a few subversive folk songs, with regard to gender roles as well as other things. I suppose that with something passed on orally you could be subversive, knowing that there was little risk that the words could be traced back to you, unlike if you went into print.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of it, but when I sang the music to myself, it sounded awfully familiar. Are there other words to it?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I suppose I'm being a little heartless regarding Avon.

Don't worry about it; he was very good at it himself. Yes, the song does seem quite satirical and there's a bit of Cockney in there too at the end, which does seem a bit tacked on.

[hafren.livejournal.com]

I think it's one of those semi-satirical urbanisations of folk song classics that were popular around then. So is The Ratcatcher's Daughter.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

So it's not an old song?

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

It's Victorian music hall, and meant to be in Cockney all the way through. The link you gave (I use that site as well) seems to have tidied the spelling since I was taught it nearly fifty years ago. (Noooo, I'm only 27)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Ah, thanks for that. I assumed it was a lot older--the song, I mean! If I put this on my site, I'll be able to give the background now. :-)

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

Have you looked at the notes on this page?
http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/uv/villikin.html

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thanks, that's a different version and I like the lyrics a lot better. In the other one, Villikins just shows up; this one gives more story.