She is pursued by her husband, but refuses to return home, preferring the life with her new found love.Ĭhild considered this ballad to be historically based on the expulsion of the gypsies from Scotland in 1609, and the hanging of a prominent gypsy, Johnny Faa, for returning to or failing to leave Scotland. Other people’s songs: Blackjack Davey by Aaron Galbraith and Tony AttwoodĪaron: In this ballad, a lady abandons her husband and children to go with the gypsy.
A list of all the articles in this “Other people’s songs” series is at the foot of this piece. Details of our current series and a link to the latest article in each series can be found on the home page.
