‘Tis women make us love,
‘Tis love that makes us sad.

‘Tis sadness makes us drink–
And drinking makes us mad!
–trad.

Oh, I really do love this “Art of the Bawdy Song” CD from the Baltimore Consort. It’s also interesting (though it makes perfect sense) that the songs whose innuendo is subtler or storyline gentler are given to women to sing. I mean, it’s obvious why a woman sings “My Thing Is My Own” (and I adore the joyful, independent version on this album–buy it for your freshman daughters! Between “Some courtiers do promise much more than they do” and “As young as I was, I understood trap” they will learn some lessons they will very much need…), but the poignant “Cold and Raw” actually has a male narrator, so it’s strange to hear this beautiful version sung by a woman. Anyway, highly recommended, especially if you like transitions from subtle bawdy humor to fart jokes and “My man John had a thing that was long….”