Open downloadable pdf file: Little_Lise / Little Eyes / Deulagas vyghan

As sung by Oll an Gwella at Lowender Peran 2017

 

Notes:

This song started life as a Charles H Sheffer composition “Liza Loves You” for a Minstrel Show entitled “The Wrong Girl” that toured across the USA in 1885. The lyrics were revised by the Deep River Boys and in the form of “Honey Honey” used as the B side to their 1950s hit single “Deep River”. It became part of the repertoire of Cornish close harmony group the “Joy Boys” in 1955 and has since been adopted into the Cornish community / “shout” singing tradition with yet further variation of the lyrics including a version in the Cornish Language. The version give here is that recorded for the Kanow Tavern Pub Song Project 2007 at the Ring of Bells St Issey. The Cornish words derive from an original translation by Ken George. For further variations on lyrics see “Hengan” and “Shout Kernow” as listed in sources below.

 

Charles H Sheffer, “Little Liza Loves You”, Lester & Allens Minstrels, Wllis Woodward & Co

(New York) 1885. Library of Congress Stable URL: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.award.rpbaasm.0926/default.html

Deep River Boys, “Deep River”, HMV POP 263 -78rpm (1950s),

Deep River Boys “London Harmony”, CD Format (2004), re-mastered from original tracks recorded between 1950 -1955 2 CD set. This definitive set contains many of the recordings made in the UK by Harry Douglas and The Deep River Boys.

Brenda Wootton, with John the Fish Pasties & Cream, Sentinel Records, SENS 1006, 1971

Merv Davey, Hengan, (Redruth, Dyllansow Truran, 1983), p21

Kanow Tavern: Cornish Pub Song Project, An Daras, 2007. ( www.an-daras.com)

Hilary Coleman and Sally Burley, Shout Kernow: Celebrating Cornwall’s pub songs,(London, Francis Boutle,2015)