Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Nottingham Fair / Nottamun Town / Fair Nottalin Town (Roud No. 1044) - Sung by Ollie Gilbert of Mountain View, Arkansas, USA. Recorded by Max Hunter on August 8, 1969. Cat. #0824 (MFH #17).
Song transcription:
I'm on my way for Adam Ham town
Foot or horse back or on a gray mare
With a blaze down her face and streak down her back
Wasn't a hair on her but what was coal black
She bucked and she pitched and she throwed me in the ditch
Dirtied my clothes and tore my skin
From the stirrups to the saddle I mounted her again
With my ten toes I rode her on the plain
Met the thief and the company too
Riding before and leading behind
A stark naked drummer a-beating his drum
With his heels in his pockets, before them he run
I asked him the place that I didn't know where
Made him so mad that he scarcely looked down
It made him so mad that he scarcely looked down
But he told me the way for Adam Ham town
When I got there not a soul could I see
Streets was crowed, laughing at me
Laughing and funing and making their game
My shoes were wore out and my feet was lame
Set myself down on a hot brimstone
Ten thousand gathered around me, I found myself alone
It rained and it hailed and it came a great storm
Killed ten thousand that never was born
So loaded up my wagon, fishing I'll go
Yes, I will, yes, I will, rudder or no
My wagon turned over my fish got spilled
Kill the old gray mare, yes I will
The recording can be listened to here:
https://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=824
Nottingham Fair / Nottamun Town / Fair Nottalin Town (Roud No. 1044) - Sung by Ollie Gilbert of Mountain View, Arkansas, USA. Recorded by Max Hunter on August 8, 1969. Cat. #0824 (MFH #17).
Song transcription:
I'm on my way for Adam Ham town
Foot or horse back or on a gray mare
With a blaze down her face and streak down her back
Wasn't a hair on her but what was coal black
She bucked and she pitched and she throwed me in the ditch
Dirtied my clothes and tore my skin
From the stirrups to the saddle I mounted her again
With my ten toes I rode her on the plain
Met the thief and the company too
Riding before and leading behind
A stark naked drummer a-beating his drum
With his heels in his pockets, before them he run
I asked him the place that I didn't know where
Made him so mad that he scarcely looked down
It made him so mad that he scarcely looked down
But he told me the way for Adam Ham town
When I got there not a soul could I see
Streets was crowed, laughing at me
Laughing and funing and making their game
My shoes were wore out and my feet was lame
Set myself down on a hot brimstone
Ten thousand gathered around me, I found myself alone
It rained and it hailed and it came a great storm
Killed ten thousand that never was born
So loaded up my wagon, fishing I'll go
Yes, I will, yes, I will, rudder or no
My wagon turned over my fish got spilled
Kill the old gray mare, yes I will
The recording can be listened to here:
https://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=824
