Blackbirds and Thrishes- Lover 1837 Rory O' More
It was first published appearance in 1837 book, Rory O'More, by Samuel Lover. Cecil Sharp comments:
There is, however, a tune in The Petrie Collection, vol. ii, No. 821 (Boosey and Co.), called " If all the young maidens be blackbirds and trushes," in the same metre as the words in Rory O More. It seems fair to conclude, therefore, that the song is of folk origin, known to Sam Lover, and placed by him in the mouth of one of the characters in his novel. (Journal of the Folk-Song Society, Vol. 2, No. 6)
Blackbirds and Thrishes (Blackbirds and Thrushes)- Samuel Lover 1837 from the novel, Rory O' More
Excerpt from Rory O'More- Page 234 by Samuel Lover - A song was next called for from the girl who sat beside Rory; and after a proper quantity of hemming and hawing, and protestations that she was very hoarse, she sang with a good voice, whose natural sweetness seemed to have been rendered coarse by exposure to weather, the following song:
Oh! if all the young maidens was blackbirds and thrishes,
Oh ! if all the young maidens was blackbirds and thrishes,
Oh ! if all the young maidens was blackbirds and thrishes,
It's then the young men would be batin' the bushes.
Oh! if all the young maidens was ducks in the wather,
Oh! if all the young maidens was ducks in the wather,
Oh! if all the young maidens was ducks in the wather,
It's then the young men would jump in and swim afther.
Oh! if all the young maidens was birds on a mountain,
Oh! if all the young maidens was birds on a mountain,
Oh! if all the young maidens was birds on a mountain,
It's then the young men would get guns and go grousin'.
If the maidens was all throut and salmon so lively,
If the maidens was all throut and salmon so lively,
If the maidens was all throut and salmon so lively,
Oh! the divil a one would *ate mate on a Friday.
*eat meat