British & Other Versions 8E. Spanish Lady Roud 542; (Dublin City; Chester City; Ettrick Lady; Madam I'm a Darling; Galway City; As I Walked Up Through London City; Edinburgh City; Twenty-Eighteen; Oh, Dear Oh)
Unfinished Painting of Spanish Lady- Richard Matteson 2017
[In the UK songs with the mythical figure of the Spanish Lady have evolved from the lineage of archaic two stanzas collected in Donegal in 1911 by Joseph Campbell:
As I walked down thro' Dublin City
At the hour of twelve in the night,
Who should I see but a Spanish lady
Washing her feet by candlelight.
First she washed them and then she dried them,
Over a fire of ambery coal,
In all my life I never did see,
A maid so neat about the sole.
These stanzas, adapted from an 18th century erotic song[1] or an unknown print adaptation of that erotic song, were used by Irish poet Joseph Campbell as the opening for his poem titled "Spanish Lady." Campbell's poem (see: Spanish Lady III), composed about 1913, entered tradition and became the popular UK version in folk clubs during the 1960s (see Behan's 1959 version).
"Spanish Lady" by Joseph Campbell (1879-1944)
As I went out through Dublin City,
At the hour of twelve o´clock at night,
Who should I see but a Spanish lady,
Washing her feet by candle light.
First she washed them and then she dried them,
Over a fire of ambery coal,
In all my life I never did see,
A maid so neat about the sole.
I stopped to peep but the watchman passed,
And says, "Young fellow, the night is late,
Get home to bed or I'll wrastle you,
At a double trot through the Bridewell gate!
So I waved a kiss to the Spanish lady
Hot as the fire of cramsey coals
I've seen dark maids though never one
So white and neat about the sole.
Oh she's too rich for a poddle swaddy
With her tortoise comb and her mantle fine
A hellfire buck would fit her better,
Drinking brandy and claret wine.
I'm just a decent college sizar,
Poor as a sod of smouldering coal,
And how would I dress the Spanish lady,
And she so neat about the sole?
O, she'd make a mott for the Provost Marshal,
Or a wife for the Mayor in his coach so high,
Or a queen of Andalusia,
Kicking her heel in the Cardinal's eye.
I'm as blue as cockles, brown as herrings,
Over a grid of glimmery coal,
And all because of the Spanish lady,
So mortial neat about the sole.
I wandered north and I wandered south,
By Golden Lane and Patrick's Close,
The Coombe, Smithfield and Stoneybatter,
Back by Napper Tandy's house.
Old age has laid its hand upon me
Cold as a fire of ashy coal
And where is the lovely Spanish lady
The maid so neat about the sole?
In 1930 the same traditional opening stanzas were arranged by Irish pianist and composer Herbert Hughes. The new version by Hughes titled "Spanish Lady; Ballynure Ballad" was recorded by James McCafferty (voice) and Herbert Hughes (piano) in London on the recording, His Master's Voice = HMV, also in 1930. Listen: https://www.itma.ie/digital-library/sound/cid-230911
I walked down thro' Dublin city
At the hour of twelve at night,
who should I spy but a Spanish lady
Washing her feet by candlelight.
First she washed them and then she dried them,
Over a fire of ambery coal,
In all my life I ne'er did see,
A maid so neat about the sole.
CHORUS: Whack for the toora, loora lady
Whack for the toora loora lee.
Whack for the toora, loora lady
Whack for the toora loora lee.
As I came back thro' Dublin city
At the hour of half past eight
Who should I spy but a Spanish lady
Brushing her hair in broad daylight.
First she tossed it, then she brushed it,
On her lap was a silver comb
In all my life I ne'er did see
So fair a maid since I did roam.
CHORUS:
As I went down thro' Dublin city,
When the sun began to set,
Who should I see but the Spanish lady
Catching a moth in a golden net.
When she saw me, then she fled me
Lifting her petticoat over the knee
In all my life I ne'er did spy
A maid so blithe as the Spanish lady!
CHORUS:
The second set and last set of stanzas given by Hughes differ from Campbell's poem and are probably from Hughes' pen. Hughes text has also entered tradition and it appears that it is his chorus that is used for most of the popular UK versions from the 1960s. A corrupt version of Hughes text “The Spanish Lady in Dublin City” was sung by Richard Dyer-Bennet[2] who learned it in NYC about 1942. His text is found mixed with Campbell's last stanza in the arrangements made by the Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers from the 1970s.
Here are five specific variants of the Spanish Lady, some used in the "Madam" courting songs:
Spanish Lady I: Derived from the first two stanzas of 1776 bawdy song which has been reworked. The first two stanzas are found in tradition with Spanish Lady instead of "damsel pretty" and are often followed by stanzas of "Madam" sometimes with the "Twenty-Eighteen" chorus and/or other choruses.
Spanish Lady II: The Spanish Lady as found in the 1800s "She answered No," "No Sir" and "Oh No, John" songs. She is the daughter of a Spanish merchant or Spanish sailor or captain. Versions of "No Sir" and Oh No John" are given under 8A. and not found here. A rare variant (see here under Ca and Cb) includes first two stanzas of "Spanish Lady I" with other traditional stanzas associated with Spanish Lady and also has the "she answered No" chorus.
Spanish Lady III: The Spanish Lady found as the poem of the same title by Irish poet Joseph Campbell based off the first two stanzas he collected of Spanish Lady I in 1911. Campbell's poem was sung and has entered tradition. It is sometime sung with the "Twenty-Eighteen" chorus and/or other choruses. It is also mixed with Herbert Hughes version.
Spanish Lady IV: The name "Spanish Lady" is found replacing "lovely creature" in a number of "Madam" versions including at least one children's game song, "Here sits a Spanish lady" dated 1909 as collected by Waugh in Ontario. See also Wehman's print version of the late 1800s and Cox's version in "Folk Songs of the South," 1925.
Spanish Lady V: An arrangement with new text of Spanish Lady for piano and voice by Irish composer Herbert Hughes. It was based on the first two stanzas (1911) supplied by Joseph Campbell from tradition. Hughes text was copyrighted in 1930-- the same year his recording with singer James McCafferty was released. Hughes last set of stanzas appear to be written by him and also have entered tradition. Hughes and Campbell's versions have been frequently mixed (see for example Spanish Lady by the Dubliners and also the version by Clancy brothers with Tommy Makem.
The fact that Spanish Lady is the central figure in so many related variants is probably not a coincidence. It suggests an early reworking of the bawdy antecedent song of c.1770 in which "Spanish lady" replaced "damsel pretty." The association with the "Madam" songs must have been early too since the name was brought to America and appears, for example, in an archaic version collected by Cox in West Virginia[3] that he titles "Spanish Lady" (Spanish Lady IV). When the adaptations were made from the bawdy song is currently unknown but the Spanish Lady was added sometime between the late 1700s and early to mid-1800s.
Traditional versions with the opening stanzas used by Campbell and Hughes were collected before Campbell published the stanzas in his 1912 play[4]. The two openings stanzas were usually combined with stanzas from "Madam, I Am Come to Court You" as found in the early 1900s versions collected in Scotland by Grieg and Duncan.
In this Scottish version (a variant of "Madam") of "Spanish Lady" collected by Greig in the early 1900s (B. Spanish Lady I), the opening text is the similar to the Irish text except that with the city becomes "Edinburgh" and the washing of her feet becomies "dressing herself":
Spanish Lady - sung by Mary Cruickshank of Aberdeenshire; collected Greig, published in 1910.
As I went up thro' Edinburgh city,
Half-past twelve o'clock at night,
There I spied a Spanish lady
Dressing herself with candle light.
She had a basin full of water
And a towel into her hand;
Five gold rings on every finger,
Like an angel she did stand.
Oh she was a charming creature,
What she is I do not know.
But I'll go court her for her beauty,
Whether she be high or low.
"Madam, I am come to court you,
If your favour I could gain.
If you gently entertain me
Maybe I'll come back again."
"Sit ye doon, ye're harty welcome,
Whether ye come back or no.
All I want is a handsome young man
Whether he be high or low."
"Madam, ye talk much of beauty,
That's a flower will soon decay.
The fairest flower in all the summer,
When winter comes it doth fade away."
After the standard opening two stanzas, this Scottish version shifts to the standard stanzas of "Madam." These Scottish composite versions (Spanish Lady I) predate the 1911 publication of the opening stanzas in Campbell's play[5] and can be reasonably dated mid-1800s. Besides the Irish and Scottish versions, there is an English version. Here is the version taken from Five English Folk Songs published in The Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Dec., 1934), pp. 130-137. The English text is similar to the Scottish text given above:
TWENTY, EIGHTEEN [MADAM, I HAVE COME TO COURT YOU.]
Sung by Fred Yeldham, July 12th, 1911, and on Oct. 5th, 1911 by Mrs. Hollingsworth, Thaxted. Noted by CLIVE CAREY.
1. As I walked through London city
After twelve o'clock at night,
There I saw a Spanish lady
Washing and ironing by candle light.
CHORUS: Fal the ral the riddle al the ray-do,
Fal the ral the rid-dle all the day,
Fal the ral the rid-dle all the ray-do,
Fal lal la the rid-dle all the day.
Twenty, eighteen, sixteen, fourteen, twelve, ten, eight, six, four, two, none;
Nine-teen, seventeen, fifteen, thirteen, eleven, nine, seven, five, three, and one.
2. Madam I have come to court you
If your favour I should win;
If you make me kindly welcome
Then perhaps I'll come again.
Chorus, etc.
3. Madam I've got rings and jewels,
Madam I've got house and land,
Madam I've the world of treasure,
If you'll be at my command.
Chorus, etc.
4. What care I for your rings and jewels,
What care I for your house and land,
What care I for your world of treasure,
All I want is a handsome man.
Chorus, etc.
5. Madam you trust much in beauty,
Beauty dies and fades away.
The finest flower in the garden growing,
Summer goes it fades away.
Chorus, etc.
The last stanza is found independently in other songs and poems. It, like the "ripest apple" stanza, shows the fleeting nature of beauty.
* * * *
The standard modern UK versions of Spanish Lady use the opening of Spanish Lady I with some variation and use stanzas of Campbell's poem combined with a chorus similar to Hughes 1930 version. The following standard UK version is based entirely on Campbell's poem with the standard new chorus. It was sung in the late 1950s by Dublin singer Dominic Behan. Notice the folk process at work: "ambry" becomes "angry" etc.
THE SPANISH LADY —as sung by Dominic Behan of Dublin on his 1959 on his Topic LP "Down by the Liffeyside."
As I went down through Dublin City
At the hour of twelve at night,
Who should I see but a Spanish lady
Washing her feet by candle light?
First she washed them, and then she dried them,
Over a fire of angry coals,
In all me life I ne'er did see
Such a maid so neat about the soles.
Chorus: Whack fol the too-ra loo-ra laddy,
Whack fol the too-ra loo-ra-lay.
I stopped to look but the watchman passed.
And said he, “Young fellow, now the night is late.
Along with you home or I will wrestle you
Straightway through the Bridewell gate.”
I threw a kiss to the Spanish lady,
Hot as a fire of angry coals,
In all my life I ne'er did see
Such a maid so neat about the soles.
CHORUS:
Now she's no mott for a Poddle swaddy
With her ivory comb and her mantle fine
But she'd make a wife for the Provost Marshall
Drunk on brandy and claret wine
I got a look from the Spanish lady,
Cold as a fire of ashy coals,
In all my life I ne'er did see
Such a maid so neat about the soles.
I've wandered North and I've wandered South
by Stonybatter and Patrick's Close,
Up and down the Gloucester Diamond
And back through Napper Tandy's house.
[Slow] Old age has laid her arm on me,
Cold as a fire of ashy coal;
But where is the lovely Spanish lady
Neat and sweet about the soles?
[Back to tempo] Chorus: Whack fol the too-ra loo-ra laddy,
Whack fol the too-ra loo-ra-lay. [repeat Chorus]
This is an example of the standard version and has been called an "Irish Street ballad," an indication that its immediate source is unknown[6]. It was similarly recorded by many artists including The Halliard (Nic Jones, Dave Moran, Nigel Patterson) who sang "The Spanish Lady" in 1967 on their first album, It's the Irish in Me and also Al O'Donnell, who sang Spanish Lady in 1967 on a single on the Tribune label. It was also included in the following year on the Tribune anthology Ballads for Drinking and the Crack.
The first arrangement of Campbell's poem is not known. Behan's version was the common arrangement of Campbell's poem from the 1960s that was circulating in the UK at that time. A second arrangement emerged in the 1970s that combined both Campbell's poem and Hughes arrangement. The Dubliners and also the Clancy Brothers (with Tommy Makem) both have similar arrangements. Here's my transcription of the Clancy Brothers version:
Spanish Lady- Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers from "Irish Pub Songs."
[instrumental, fiddle]
As I came into Dublin city,
At the hour of twelve at night,
Who should I spy but a Spanish lady,
Washing her feet by candlelight.
First she washed them, then she dried them
Over a fire of ambery coal,
In all my life I ne'er did see
A maid so sweet about the sole.
CHORUS:
Whack fol the toora, toora laddy
Whack fol the foora loora lay (2x)
As I came back through Dublin city
At the hour of half past eight
Who should I spy but the Spanish lady
Brushing her hair in the broad daylight.
First she brushed it, then she tossed it,
On her lap was a silver comb
In all my life I ne'er did see
A maid so sweet since I did roam.
CHORUS
As [yet again] I came back through Dublin city
As the sun began to set
Who should I spy but the Spanish lady
Catching a moth in a golden net.
When she saw me then she fled me
Lifting her petticoat o'er her knee
In all my life I ne'er did see
A maid so fair as the Spanish lady.
CHORUS
I've wandered north and I've wandered south
Through Stonybatter and Patrick's Close
Up and around the Gloucester Diamond
Back by Napper Tandy's house.
But old age has laid her hand on me [tempo slows]
Cold as a fire of ashy coal
But where is the lovely Spanish lady
Neat and sweet about the sole.
CHORUS 2X [original tempo]
The form and chorus are the same as the Dominic Behan version. The second and third stanzas of the Clancy Brothers' version (above) are taken from Hughes' 1930 arrangement. The last stanza is from Campbell's poem and is arranged in the same manner as Dominic Behan's version (slows, then the chorus is sung a tempo). A third important arrangement was recorded in 1973 by Frank Harte. This arrangement uses Campbell's poem but has the "Twenty, Eighteen" and "Wheel of Fortune" choruses.
The Spanish Lady- sung by Frank Harte at The Trinity Inn on June 12, 1998 (first recorded by Harte in 1973).
Listen: https://www.itma.ie/goilin/song/spanish_lady_frank_harte
As I was a-walking through Dublin City
About the hour of twelve at night,
It was there I saw a fair pretty female
Washing her feet by candlelight.
First she washed them and then she dried them
Around her shoulder she pegged a towel,
And in all me life I never did see
A maid so neat about the sole.
CHORUS: She had 20 18 16 14, 12 10 8 6 4 2 none,
She had 19 17 15 13, 11 9 7 5 3 and 1.
Well I stopped to look but the watchman passed
"Say, young fellow, the night is late
Along with you home or I will wrassle you
Straightway though the Bridewell Gate."
I got a look from the Spanish lady
Hot as the fire of ambry coals
And in all my life I never did see
A maid so neat about the sole.
CHORUS:
As I walked back through Dublin City
As the dawn of day was o'er
Oh, who should I spy but the Spanish lady
When I was weary and footsore.
She had a heart so filled with loving
And her love she longed to share,
And in all my life I never did meet with
A maid who had so much to spare.
CHORUS
Well, I've wandered north and I've wandered south
By Stoney Batter and Patrick's Close;
And up and around by the Gloucester Diamond
Back by Napper Tandy's house.
But old age has laid her hands upon me
Cold as a fire of ashy coals
But gone is the lovely Spanish lady
Neat and sweet about her sole.
CHORUS
2ND CHORUS: And round and round goes the Wheel of fortune,
Where it rests it wearies me,
Young maid's hearts are so uncertain,
Sad experience teaches me.
CHORUS
Frank Harte sang The Spanish Lady in 1973 on his Topic LP, Through Dublin City. His sixth stanza is unique and possibly a recreation by Harte.
* * * *
A different variant of Spanish Lady I in dialogue form is "Galway City" which was recorded by the Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem in New York in 1965 and appears on their 1966, "Isn't It Grand Boys" album. This version has stanzas of "Madam" much like the Scottish versions collected by Grieg and Duncan in Aberdeenshire in the early 1900s. The fourth stanza is related to "Madam will you Walk" which is a different courting song. Tommy Makem got it from: "Sean O'Boyle, the well-known folk collector and Gaelic scholar[7]" .
Galway City- Clancy Brothers from Sean O'Boyle of Armahg
(He:) As I walked out through Galway City
At the hour of twelve at night,
Whom should I spy but a handsome damsel,
Combing her hair by candlelight.
Lassie, I have come a-courting,
Your kind favors for to win,
And if you'd but smile upon me,
Next Sunday night I'll call again.
Chorus: Raddy at a toodum, toodum, toodum,
Raddy at a toodum, toodum day.
Raddy at a toodum, toodum, toodum,
Raddy at a toodum, toodum day.
(She:) So to me you came a-courting,
My kind favors for to win,
But 'twould give me the greatest pleasure
If you never did call again.
What would I do, when I go walking,
Walking out in the morning dew?
What would I do when I go walking,
Walking out with a lad like you?
Chorus.
(He:) Lassie, I have gold and silver,
Lassie, I have houses and land.
Lassie, I have ships on the ocean,
They'll be all at your command.
(She:) What do I care with your ships on the ocean?
What do I care with your houses and land?
What do I care with your gold and silver?
All's I want is a handsome man.
Chorus
(He:) Did you ever see the grass in the morning,
All bedecked with jewels rare?
Did you ever see a handsome lassie,
Diamonds sparkling in her hair?
(She:) Did you ever see a copper kettle,
Mended with an old tin can?
Did you ever see a handsome lassie
Married off to an ugly man?
This uses the "Spanish Lady 1" opening and the form and chorus are similar to the popular standard UK versions of Spanish Lady that use Campbell's text (Spanish Lady III). Stanza four resembles "Madam will you Walk?" while the last stanza is similarly found in Bell Robertson's version and the Tennessee version. Curiously, two variants were recorded by Maritime Canada singers: the first by The Fables, a Newfoundland group in 1998 and the second in 2007 from Nova Scotia singers Hector MacIsaac and Emma MacIsaac, who attribute it to their Irish Uncle Jerome Downey. The source of these Canadian versions may be the Clancy Brothers, but more investigation is needed.
Other versions including "Ettrick Lady" appear to be derived from "Galway City" as presented above.
* * * *
Some Conclusions
The Spanish Lady versions are similar to and probably derived from the opening stanzas of the erotic folksong "The Ride in London" albeit reworked. The two stanzas rewritten with the "Spanish Lady" replacing "damsel pretty" were filled out mainly with stanzas of Madam" and its relatives.
No attempt has been made to sort out recent versions and recordings of Spanish Lady which, for the most part, are covers of the 1960s popular version made by a variety of singers and groups.
For details see 8D. Main Headnotes from which sections of this page were borrowed,
R. Matteson 2017]
______________________________
Footnotes:
1. SONG LXXXIII in the"The Frisky Songster." It was first printed circa 1770 in London.
2. “The Spanish Lady in Dublin City” sung by Richard Dyer-Bennet. Learned in NYC about 1942. From Folkways "Richard Dyer-Bennet, Vol. 4," 1957.
3. Cox's version of "Spanish Lady" was communicated by Miss Violet Noland, Davis, Tucker County, 1916 who obtained it from Mr. John Raese. Reese heard it sung when he was a boy. From Cox, Folk Songs of the South, 1925.
4. "Judgment: A Play in Two Acts" by Joseph Campbell, 1912.
5. Ibid.
6. Behan's 1959 was certainly one of the first and it was sung in various pubs in the UK during the late 50 and 60s.
7. Quoted from Makem's liner notes. Sean O'Boyle was born June 14, 1946 in Armagh, Ireland.
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CONTENTS: (To access individual versions, lick on highlighted blue title below or on the title attached to this page on the left hand column).
1) Song No. 83- (Lon/Dub) Frisky Songster c.1770
2) The Ride in London- (Scotland) c.1786 Burns
3) Spanish Lady- J. W. Spence (Aber) 1905 Greig G
London City- M. Gillespie (Glas) 1906 Greig B
Edinburgh City- W. Wallace (Aber) 1907 Grieg D
London City- John Johnstone (Aber) 1907 Greig E
Spanish Lady- Bell Robertson (Aber) 1907 Greig I
Spanish Lady- Mrs. Dunbar (Aber) 1908 Greig A
Spanish Lady- Cruickshank (Aber) 1908 Greig C
Dublin City- Georgina Reid (Aber) 1908 Greig F
Twenty, Eighteen- Fred Yeldham (Essex) 1911 Carrey
Spanish Lady- Joseph Campbell (Belfast) c.1913
Oh Dear, Oh- Ethel Findlater (Ork) c.1914 REC
Dublin City- Seamus Ennis (Dub) c. 1951 Lomax
Spanish Lady- Dominic Behan (Dub) 1959 REC
Galway City- Sean O'Boyle (Arm) 1965 Makem
The Spanish Lady- Frank Harte (Dub) 1973 REC
Ettrick Lady- The Corries (Edin) 1975 REC
The Spanish Lady- Martin Howley (Clare) 1975 REC
Madam, I'm a Darling- Frank Harte (Kerry) 1975
Spanish Lady- Makem/Clancy Brothers (Tip) 1996
__________________
Random Notes
Frank Harte sang The Spanish Lady in 1973 on his Topic LP Through Dublin City. He commented in the album liner notes:
For too long this fine old Dublin song has been sung mainly by choral groups and concert sopranos. I remember the song from childhood and it has grown as I heard verses of it year after year. In some versions the last verse ends—
She had 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 none
She had 19 17 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 and 1,
meaning “she had the odds and the evens of it“—in other words she had everything.
-----
Seamus Ennis sang a fragment of Dublin City to Alan Lomax in Dublin in 1951. This recording was included on the anthology Songs of Seduction. (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 2; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1968) and in 2000 on the album's Rounder CD reissue. The album's booklet commented:
Burl Ives used to sing another version of this song, which began:
A I walked out in Dublin city
About the hour of twelve at night,
I spied a fair young maiden
Washing her feet by candlelight,
In the refrain, she appears to be counting, but in reverse series, running from twenty to nothing and from nineteen to one. On the one hand, the song seems to portray a market girl summing up her day's receipts in coins. On the other, it is perhaps another instance in Irish folk song of an encounter with a feminine symbol—in this case a revolutionary one—of the spirit of oppressed Ireland. The song is also called The Spanish Lady (the title that was used by Herbert Hughes for his piano setting of the tune), the Irish equivalent for the English song, No, John, No. An American version is A Paper of Pins.
Seamus Ennis sings Dublin City
As I walked through Dublin City at the hour of twelve at night,
Who should I see but a maiden beauty, combing her hair with a four-pronged pike?
Chorus (after each verse):
Turry-idle-ido-dido-dido,
Turry-idle-ido-dido-day.
As I walked again through Dubin, on the same or another night,
Who should I see but the same fair maiden, counting her cash by the candlelight?
Courtin' women is foolish folly and marryin' women is just the same.
Courtin' women when they're not willin' is like throwin' water against the stream.
---------------
Title - The Spanish Lady
Contributors - Ethel Findlater
Reporters - Alan J. Bruford
Summary - In this song, a young man tries to court a woman by offering wealth and comfort, but she rejects all these, saying all she wants is a handsome sailor.
Ethel Findlater learned this song from her cousin Bella about fifty-five years before. Bella sang a chorus after every two verses, though Ethel thinks even that is too often.
Track Duration (h:m:s) - 00:04:38
Date Recorded - 1969.06.24
Language - English
Genre - Song, Information
Collection - School of Scottish Studies
Track ID - 64119
Original Tape ID - SA1969.052
Original Track ID - SA1969.52
Audio Quality - Good
Audio Format - R2R
Oh, dear Oh- Sung by Ethel Findlater of Orkney. Learned about 1914 from her cousin Bella who sang a chorus after every two verses, though Ethel thinks even that is too often.
1 Walking up Edinburgh city,
At the back of twelve o'clock at night,
There I spied a Spanish lady
Dressing herself with candlelight.
2 "Madam I have come to court you,
What you are I do not know;
Madam I have come to court you,
If your answer should be No."
(chorus) Oh, dear Oh, if I had a sailor,
Oh, dear Oh, if I had but one;
Oh, dear Oh, if I had a sailor,
With his tarry trousers on.
3 "Come sit down your hearty welcome,
Wither you call again or no;
Come sit down your hearty welcome,
If my should be no."
4 "Madam, I have gold and silver;
Madam, I have houses and land;
Madam, I have men and maidens,
And they all shall be at your command.
5 What care I for your gold and silver?
What care I for your houses and land?
What care I for your men and maidens,
All I want a handsome young man." .
(chorus) Oh, dear Oh, if I had a sailor,
Oh, dear Oh, if I had but one;
Oh, dear Oh, if I had a sailor,
With his tarry trousers on.
7. Madam you talk much of beauty
It is a flower that will soon decay;
For the fairest flower that blooms in summer,
When winter comes it fades away."
(chorus)
8 "Don't you see yon lugger coming,
With the long boat at the stern;
It's him that's got my heart a-keeping,
I wish he had my body too."
(chorus)
9 "My two eyes are dim with weeping,
Oh, dear O, what shall I do;
It's him that's got my heart a-keeping,
I wish he had my body too."
Chorus (2x)
------------------------------
She had a basin full of water
And a white towel in her hand;
She was the nicest Spanish lady
Ever yet
Colorado Folk Songs
Author(s): Ben Gray Lumpkin
Source:
Western Folklore,
Vol. 19, No. 2 (Apr., 1960), pp. 77-97
Published by: Western States Folklore Societ
Randolph reported four versions of "The Courting Song,"" but they are
totally different from Cook's Courting song:
Lady, I have come a-courting,
Your affection for to win.
If you'll kindly entertain me,
Next Sunday night I'll call again.
Tum, tum a-ree, a-ree, a-ray doe.
Tum, tum a-ree, a-ray de en.
Tum, tum a-ree, a-ree a-ray doe.
Next Sunday night I'll call again.
Sir, if you have come acourting,
My affection for to win,
I will kindly entertain you
If you'll never call again.
Tum, tum etc.
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The Jackson/Burne text ends
'But fare you well, my dearest creature,
Since I have no more to say.'
'O turn again, young man! I'll have you!'
But his answer was, 'Nay, nay!'
Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen: Travellers' Songs, Stories and Tunes of ...
https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1617033081
Elizabeth Stewart, Alison McMorland - 2012 - Preview - More editions
Oh what care I for your high, high castle Oh what care I for your lilies white Oh what care I for your gold or your silver If only my true love wis here tonight. He put his hand intae his pocket His fingers they were long an small And he took frae his