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20
My grandmother she at the age of ninety three,
One day in may was taken ill and died,
And after she was dead, her will of course was read,
By the lawyer as we all stood by his side.
To my brother it was found, she had left a thousand
pounds,
The same unto my sister I declare,
But when it came to me, the lawyer says I see,
She has only left to you her old armchair.
How they tittered, how they chaffed,
How my brother and sister laughed,
When they heard the lawyer declare,
Granny had only left to me her old armchair.
I did not think it fair, still I did not care,
And in the evening took the chair away,
The neighbours at me laughed, my brother at me chaffed,
And said you'll find it useful, John, some day.
When you settle down in life, find a girl to
be your wife,
You'll find it very handy I declare,
On a cold and frosty night, when the fire is burning bright,
You can then sit in your old armchair.
My brothers words came true, for in a year or
two,
Strange to say I settled down in life,
I first a girl did court, and then a ring I bought,
Took her to church and then she was my wife.
The old girl and me were as happy as can be,
For when my work was over I declare,
I ne'er abroad would roam, but each night we'd stay at home,
And be seated in my old armchair.
One night the chair fell down,
When I picked it up I found, the seat had fallen out upon
the floor,
And there to my surprise, I saw before my eyes,
A lot of notes, ten thousand pounds and more.
When my brother heard of this, the fellow I
confess
went nearly mad with rage and tore his hair,
But I only laughed at him and said unto him, Jim,
Wouldn't you like to have got the old armchair.
21
I am a dairy farmer, from Bedfordshire I came,
To see some friends in Cumberwell and Morgan is my name,
And if you listen for a minute, I shall tell without delay,
How a buxom little damsel my affections led astray.
When she promised for to marry me, upon the
first of May,
When she left me with a bunch of watercresses.
It was on the first of April, that I arrived
in town,
And being quite a stranger there I wandered up an down,
Until I lost my way entirely, I cannot tell you where,
It was in a quiet street, on the corner of a square.
When a neatly dressed young lady, came walking
down the way,
As long as I am living, I shall ne'er forget the day,
When she promised for to marry me upon the first of May,
When she left me with a bunch of watercresses.
Politely I addressed her and this to her did
say,
I wish to go to Camberwell, can you direct the way,
Oh yes sir, oh yes sir, she speedily replied,
Take the turning to the left, and gang down the other side.
Her voice it was the sweetest, that I ever I
did hear,
Her hands were like the lilies, so very white and clear,
She had a bunch of early onions, and half a pint of beer,
Some pickles and a bunch of watercresses.
As I bow down I thank her and walk down by her
side,
I thought how well she'd look as a dairy farmer's bride,
Then I gathered resolution, half in earnest and half in joke,
I hinted matrimony, these very words I spoke.
I've got a farm of forty acres, I have horses
cows and geese,
Likewise a little dairy full of buttermilk and cheese,
Will you buy me a ??? fair lady of old ???
And there we'll live on love and watercresses.
She replied with a smile, I am ready if you
choose,
Your house so very generous, I cannot well refuse,
But I've a wedding dress to buy some little bills to pay,
So I handed her a sovereign, expenses to defray.
And she promised for to marry me upon the first
of May,
When she left me with a bunch of watercresses,
Next a letter I received and with some surprise,
Young man for disappointing you I must apologise.
But before you ask a maiden into paternership
for life,
Be sure she's a maiden or a widow, not a wife,
For I've a husband of my own, his name is Willie Grey,
And when I can afford it your sovereign I'll repay.
But to think that I could marry you upon the
first of May,
You must have been as green as watercresses.
[chattering]
22
To comrades and companions and all ye females dear,
To my sad lamentations I pray you'll lend an ear,
There was once a I loved a bonny lass I loved her as my life,
And it was my sole intention to make her my wedded wife.
As I courted wi that bonny lass a twelve-month
and a day,
Sometimes amonst the green grass, sometimes amonst the hay
I courted her a lea-long nicht and part o the next day,
Till she says my dearest Sandy lad, it's time you wis away.
Now say dearest Molly when shall we set a time,
When you and I'll get married an hands together join?
And you'll sit in oor wee cottage and you'll neither spin
nor shew,
While yer ain guid-hearted hireman lad goes whistling at the
ploo.
There's Cadam and there's Cadam Mills an Louther
Mills likewise,
There woods and waters many more, pleasant to my eyes,
But the bonny woods o Hatton they a' grow green in May,
It wis thereaboot the lassie lived, that stole my heart away.
I'll mind aboot that bonny lass when I am far
awa,
I'll speak aboot thon bonny lass till them she niver saw,
I shall tell them that I lured her awa but to me she proved
untrue,
And left me doon by Hatton woods my sorrows for tae rue.
23
I'm Paddy Miles an Irish man just come across the sea,
For singing or for dancing I hope that I'll please thee,
I can sing and dance like any man as I did in the days of
yore,
And on St Patrick's day I loved to wear the hat my father
wore.
Oh it's old but it's beautiful it's the best
you've seen,
It was worn for more than ninety years, on that little isle
so green,
From my father's great ancestors it descended with glore,
It's a relic of oul decency this hat my father wore.
I'm going for to leave you, good luck to me
you'll say,
And when I cross the ocean, I hope for me you'll pray,
I am going to leave my father's land to a place called Baltimore,
To be welcomed back to Paddy's land with the hat my father
wore.
Oh it's old but it's beautiful it's the best
you've seen,
It was worn for more than ninety years, on that little isle
so green,
From my fathers great ancestors it descended with glore,
It's a relic of all decency this hat my father wore.
24
I gaed up tae Turra market,
Turra Market for tae fee,
I met in wi a farmer chiel,
Fae the Barnyards o Delgatie.
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
Liltin addie toorin ae,
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
The Barnyards o Delgatie!
He promised me the twa best horse,
That iver gaed in iron sheen,
But when I gaed hame tae the barnyards,
There's naethin there but skin and bone.
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
Liltin addie toorin ae,
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
The Barnyards o Delgatie!
The auld grey horse lay on her rump,
The auld grey mare sat in the grime,
And a that I could hup an crack,
They wouldna rise at yokin time.
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
Liltin addie toorin ae,
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
The Barnyards o Delgatie!
Meg Macpherson maks wir brose,
But her an me wi canna agree,
First a mot an syne a knot,
an aye the ither splash o bree.
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
Liltin addie toorin ae,
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
The Barnyards o Delgatie!
When I gang doon tae Kirk on Sunday,
Mony's a bonny lass I see
Sittin by her brither's side,
Winkin ower the seat tae me!
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
Liltin addie toorin ae,
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
The Barnyards o Delgatie!
Some can drink and aye get drunk,
And some can fecht an no be slain,
And I can kiss another man's lassie,
And aye be welcome tae my own!
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
Liltin addie toorin ae,
Liltin addie, toorin addie,
The Barnyards o Delgatie!
25
As I gaed doon by Strichen toon,
I heard a fair maid mournin,
An she was makin sair complaint,
O her true love ne'er returnin.
So fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes,
Where oft times I've been cheery,
Fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes,
For it's there I lost my dearie.
But I'll gang doon tae Strichen toon,
Where I wis bred and born,
An there I'll get another sweethert,
That'll marry me the morn.
So fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes,
Where oft times I've been cheery,
Mormond Braes where heather grows,
For it's there I lost my dearie.
There's as guid fish intae the sea,
As ever yet's been taken,
I'll cast my line an try again,
For I'm only eence forsaken.
So fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes,
Where oft times I've been cheery,
Mormond Braes where heather grows,
For it's there I lost my dearie.
There's mony a horse has snappert an fa'n
An fa'n an risen again sae rarely,
There's many a lass has lost her lad,
An gotten another richt early.
So fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes,
Where oft times I've been cheery,
Mormond Braes where heather grows,
For it's there I lost my dearie.
But I will niver look at him,
An I'll aye be cheery,
When I ging doon tae Strichen toon,
Tae get anither dearie.
So fare ye weel ye Mormond Braes,
Where oft times I've been cheery,
Mormond Braes where heather grows,
For it's there I lost my dearie.
26
Paddy McGinty and Irish man of note,
Fell into a fortune an bought himself a goat,
28
If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,
Though maybe at the closing of your days,
You will sit and watch the sun rise over Claddagh,
And watch the sun go down on Galway Bay,
.
And to hear again the ripple of the trout stream,
And the women in the meadows making hay,
And to
[?] Go on Jimmy.
[?] I dinna ken a' the words o at....
29
[?] Right happy birthday tae Mitchell en
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Mitchell,
Happy birthday to you.
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