Paper of Pins- Flora Lassiter c. 1890s
[Straight pins used to be sold stuck through a paper (many pins side by side, kind of woven in and out of the paper). They are used in sewing and used to be relatively costly, so a "paper of pins" would have been a nice gift from a young man to a girl he admired.
It is an old English dialogue ballad, related to the ballad "The Keys of Canterbury." The Opies note a "Paper of Pins" variant recorded in 1611.
R. Matteson 2014]
PAPER OF PINS
I'll give to you a paper of pins
For that's the way out love begins,
If you will marry me- me- me-
If you will marry me.
I'll not accept your paper of pins,
If that's the way you love begins,
And I'll not marry you- you- you-
And I'll not marry you.
I'll give to you a dress of red,
Stitched all around with golden thread,
If you will marry me- me- me-
If you will marry me.
I'll not accept your dress of red,
Stitched all around with golden thread,
And I'll not marry you- you- you-
And I'll not marry you.
I'll give to you the a dress of green,
That you may look like any queen,
If you will marry me- me- me-
If you will marry me.
I'll not accept your dress of green,
That I may look like any queen
And I'll not marry you- you- you-
And I'll not marry you.
I'll give to you a dress of blue,
To prove to you my love is true,
If you will marry me- me- me-
If you will marry me.
I'll not accept your dress of blue,
To prove to you my love is true,
And I'll not marry you- you- you-
And I'll not marry you.
I'll give to you the key to my chest,
That you may have gold at your request,
If you will marry me- me- me-
If you will marry me.
I'll not accept the key to your chest,
That I may have gold at my request,
And I'll not marry you- you- you-
And I'll not marry you.
I'll give to you the key to my heart,
That we may marry and never part,
If you will marry me- me- me-
If you will marry me.
I will accept the key to your heart,
That we may marry and never part,
And I will marry you- you- you-
And I will marry you.
This is remembered by Mrs. L. L. McDowell from childhood. She faintly remembers singing it to her baby brother, but does not remember who sang it to her.