The Cambric Shirt; Sung by Mrs. J. C. Marshall, Quanah, Texas. Published 1932
[From Dobie, J. Frank (James Frank), 1888-1964. Tone the Bell Easy. Dallas, Texas. Mrs. Marshall was born in Arkansas and learned the ballads there that she brought to Texas. Bronson No. 5.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Cambric Shirt
"Madam will you make me a cambric shirt,
With not one stitch of needle work?
CHORUS: Keedle up, a keedle up, a turp, turp tay,
Tum a lum a do, Castle on my nay."
"Wash it out in an old dry well,
Where never a drop of water fell."
"Hang it out on an old dry thorn,
Where the sun never shone since Adam was born."
"Kind sir, will you buy me an acre of land
Between salt waters and sea sand?"
"Plow it up with an old ram's horn,
And seed it down with one grain of corn."
"Cut it down with an old case knife
And haul it in with a yoke of mice."
"Then when you've done and finished your work,
You can come home and get your cambric shirt."
--------------------------------
Bronson No. 5 [ABCNotation.com]
T:The Cambric Shirt
T:The Elfin Knight
B:Bronson
C:Trad
O:Major, PTFLS, X (1932), pp 137-38. Sung by Mrs. J.C.
O:Marshall, Quanah, Texas.
M:C|
K:Gmix % Hexatonic Ionian/Mixolydian
BBBB | d2 dd B2 B2 | d2>d2 e2 d2 |
w:"Mad-am will you make me a cam-bric shirt, With not one
c2 A2 d2 B2 | B4 ddBB | ddBB A2 G2 |
w:stitch of need-le work? Keed-le up, a keed-le up, a turp, turp
c4 BBBB | c2 BB c2 A2 | G4 |]
w:tay, Tum a lum a do, Cast-le on my nay.
W:
W:"Madam will you make me a cam-bric shirt,
W:With not one stitch of need-le work?"
W:
W:Chorus:
W:Keedle up, a keedle up, a-turp, turp tay,
W:Tum a lum a do, Castle on my nay.
W:
W:"Wash it out in an old dry well,
W:Where never a drop of water fell."
W:
W:"Hang it out on an old dry thorn,
W:Where the sun never shone since Adam was born."
W:
W:"Kind sir, will you buy me an acre of land
W:Between salt waters and sea sand?"
W:
W:"Plow it up with an old ram's horn,
W:And seed it down with one grain of corn."
W:
W:"Cut it down with an old case knife
W:And haul it in with a yoke of mice."
W:
W:"Then when you've done and finished your work,
W:You can come home and get your cambric shirt."