There is a Tavern- F. J. Adams (NY) 1891 Levy
[Sheet music from The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music: There is a Tavern in the Town by F. J. Adams, Willis Woodward & Co., 842 & 844 Broadway, New York, 1891. The evidence suggests Adams based his arrangement on an edition of Student Songs words and music by William H. Hill. The first publication Hill's composition was 1883. About that same date the text appeared in a R. Marsh songbook published Marsh & Co., St. James's Walk, Clerkenwell, London.
Hills based his verses on text from the "Died for Love" ballads and possibly borrowed the form and chorus from "Radoo, Radoo, Radoo" a minstrel song of unknown origin that was published by 1884. The text is given:
Radoo Radoo Radoo
(Adieu)
Radoo, radoo, kind friends, radoo, radoo, radoo,
And if I never more see you, you ,you,
I'll hang my harp on a weeping willow tree,
And may this world go well with you, you, you.
Shall I be bound, shall I be free, free, free,
And many is de girl dat don't love me, me, me,
Or shall I act a foolish part,
And die for de girl dat broke my heart, heart, heart.
Give me a chair and I'll sit down, down, down,
Give me a pen, I'll write it down, down, down,
And every word that I shall write,
A tear will trickle from my eye, eye, eye.
Radoo, radoo, kind friends, radoo, radoo, radoo,
And if I never more see you, you ,you,
I'll hang my harp on a weeping willow tree,
And may this world go well with you, you, you.
R. Matteson 2017]
There is a Tavern in the Town. Song and Chorus. The Season's Success. Words and music by F.J. Adams, 1891
There is a tavern in the town, in the town
And there my dear love sits him down, [sits him down]
And drinks his wine 'mid laughter free
And never, never thinks of me.
Chorus
Fare thee well, for I must leave thee
Do not let the parting grieve thee
And remember that the best of friends must part, must part,
Adieu, adieu, kind friends adieu, adieu, adieu
I can no longer stay with you, stay with you
I'll hang my harp on a weeping willow tree
And may the world go well with thee.
He left me for a damsel dark, [damsel dark]
Each Friday night they used to spark, [used to spark]
And now my love once true to me
Takes that dark damsel on his knee.
Oh! dig my grave both wide and deep, wide and deep
Put tombstones at my head and feet, [head and feet]
And on my breast carve a turtle dove
To signify I died of love.