Gossip Joan

Album: Centuries of Song (1705)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written in 4/4 time, "Good Morrow, Gossip Joan" or more usually plain "Gossip Joan," is a traditional English folk song that is or was once popular in the school music curriculum, including for descant recorder. According to an official local government source - Wiltshire County Council - it was collected by Alfred Williams from Charles Frederick Hope of Filkins. Alfred Williams (1877-1930) was a folk song collector among his many other talents in his relatively short life. His contemporary note on "Gossip Joan" was "A quaint old song, that depended upon its highest success, on the ability of the singer to observe the proper quantities and modulations."
  • The British Library holds several copies of what may be the oldest version of a folk song that - unlike many - appears to have changed very little with the passage of time. The earliest is dated c1705. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments: 1

  • Dave from Northern IrelandIt’s a budgie, not a budget full of talking!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Jules Shear - "All Through The Night"

Jules Shear - "All Through The Night"They're Playing My Song

Shears does very little promotion, which has kept him secluded from the spotlight. What changed when Cyndi Lauper had a hit with his song? Not much, really.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.