No Sir, No Sir- Sam Larner (Norf) 1958 MacColl
[From "Now is the Time for Fishing", Topic TSCD511 and Smithsonian Folkways, 1961. Sam Larner was born in 1878 in the village of Winterton in Norfolk. For most of his life he was a fisherman and developed his repertoire and style from the locality and his workmates. Now Is The Time For Fishing was originally recorded on location in 1958, ’59 & ’60 by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger and released in 1961.
Larner's version uses the somewhat bawdy "Oh No John" text with a No Sir Chorus. Cf. the White/Hooper version collected by Sharp in 1903.
R. Matteson 2017]
No Sir, No Sir- sung by Sam Larner, The Norfolk fisherman Sam Larner; recorded by Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger about 1958.
In London City there dwelt a maiden
And her name I do not know;
I courted her all for her beauty,
But she would always answer "No."
CHORUS No sir, no sir,
No sir, no sir.
For she would always answer
No sir, no.
Her husband was a Spanish captain,
Seven long years he'd been away,
And the last time that he left her,
He bade her always to say "No."
CHORUS
Madam, may I walk your garden,
Walk and talk as lovers do?
And Madam would you think it rudely,
If I undressed and came with you?
CHORUS
Now we are in bed together,
Gazing on each others charms
Would your own husband please you better
As I lay all in your arms.
CHORUS
Madam, rise draw back those curtains,
The morning cock is crowing nigh,
Madam, rise draw back those curtains,
Open your arms and let me fly.
CHORUS