Brisk Young Drummer- William Alexander (Hamp) 1909 Gardiner Roud No: 60
[My title replacing generic Died of Love. From George Gardiner Manuscript Collection (GG/1/17/1068). There is a ballad titled Brisk Young drummer found in Scottish chapbooks.
R. Matteson 2017]
Brisk Young Drummer- William Alexander of Hampshire, about 1909. Collector: G.B. Gardiner
A brisk young drummer he courted me,
He courted me for sweet liberty,
He won my heart with a good free will,
Although he's false I love him still.
Oh once my apron it did tie low,
He followed me through frost and snow,
But not it will not tie, but obliged to pin,
He passes by and says nothing.
There is an alehouse in our town,
Where he goes and sits himself down;
And then he takes some strange girl all on his knee
And don't you think how that vexes me.
Down in the meadows this girl did run,
A-gathering flowers just as they sprung,
Of every sort she gave a pull,
Until she had gathers her apron full.
Now this green grass done for her bed
And those sweet flowers for her pillow,
She laid herself down and never spoke,
And through her false lover her heart was broke.
What a foolish girl she must be,
I think I love no one but she[1];
A man was made not for one alone,
So I take delight to hear her moan.
Oh what a hard hearted young man that must be,
His heart must be harder than any stone,
He had two girls instead of one,
Through loving him I'm quite alone.
1. shows confusion, perhaps: "To think she loved no one but me,"