Early, Early All in the Spring- Winnie Ryan (Belf) 1952 Kennedy
[From the 2014 on the Topic anthology The Flax in Bloom (The Voice of the People Volume 27). Taken from a field recording made by Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle in Belfast in 1952.
The title is misleading since it's the title for the Irish broadside of Sailor Boy. The first stanza is similar to Barry's Irish version "Green Valley" (see also Croppy Boy) and the rest is "There is an Alehouse."
R. Matteson 2017]
Early, Early All in the Spring- sung by Winnie Ryan in Belfast in 1952. Recorded by Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle.
Oh, it is early, early all in the spring
When the small birds whistle and cheerfully sing,
When they change their note, love, from tree to tree,
And they loudly sung over our valley.
And there is an alehouse all in this town
Where my love Willie goes in and sit down,
Where he takes a strange girl all on his knee
And he laughs at her and he frowns at me.
All then I can tell you the reason why,
Sure, that fair maiden has more gold than I.
Let her silver melt, love, and her gold will fly,
And I hoping she will be as poor as I.
Oh then, I can wash, love, and I can wring,
Oh then, I can do, love, all everything.
For 'tis so upsetting for, of course, to find
And for want of money I was left behind.
Oh, but when my apron is slack and slow,
He would follow me through the old frost and snow.
But when my apron would tip my chin
He would pass the old door and he wouldn't look in.
Oh, I wished to God, then I wished again,
I wished I was, love, a young maid again.
Oh, then that's the sight, love, I will never see
Oh, till apples will grow on an ivy tree.