EP

When I was a Young Maid

John Barleycorn

The Lady & The Soldier

On Yonder Old Oak

The Two Magicians

When I was a Young Maid

When I was a young maid about age of sweet sixteen

I wanted for to go and serve my country and my queen

I listed in the army a drummer boy to be

And they learnt me to play upon the rum-a-dum-a-dee

Chorus (after every verse):

With my big hat and feather, if you had only seen

You’d have sworn from your very heart a young man I had been

My waist was thin and slender, my fingers thin and small

And I could rattle up the drummer dee the best among them all

When I was in the guardroom, where oft times I had been

I never was afraid for to lie down with any man

While taking off my trousers, I often gave a smile

For to think I was a soldier and maiden all the while

They sent me to London, I was scarcely three days there

When a maiden fell in love with me because I was so fair

I told her I was a maiden, a maiden she replied

And she went and told my officer, the secret she destroyedy

My officer he sent for me to ask me was it true

I said it was, what other could I do

I said it was, he smiled and shook his head

 It’s a pity for to lose you such a drummer boy you maid

So here is a pension, you have it from the king

And here is another one, you have it from the queen

And if ever you be married, 8and ever have a son

You can send him to the army for to rattle up the drum

John Barleycorn

There were three men come from the west and they were all a dry

They made a vow, a solemn vow, John Barleycorn should die

Ah poor boy, John Barleycorn should die

They ploughed the land, they harrowed it well, scratched cloths all over his head

They made a vow, a solemn vow, John Barleycorn was dead

Ah poor boy, John Barleycorn was dead

They let him lay a little while ‘til a shower of rain did fall

Then Barleycorn sprang up a green blade and soon surprised them all

Ah poor boy, and soon surprised them all

They let him stand ‘til midsummer ‘til he grew pale and sore

Then they hired men with scythe sticks in to cut him down at his knees

Ah poor boy, to cut him down at his knees

They hired men with pitch forks in to prick him to his heart

They pitched him and they loaded him and they bound his to a cart

Ah poor boy, they bound him to a cart

They carted him up and down the field, they carted him to the farm

That’s how they served John Barleycorn, and they swore they’d done him no harm

 Ah poor boy, they swore they’d done him no harm

They hired men with great sticks in, to beat him out at once

Swish swash went onto his head and the flesh flew from his bones

Ah poor boy, the flesh flew from his bones

They put him into a sack poor boy, and tied him up with a string

But Barleycorn untied himself and he soon got out again

Ah poor boy, he soon got out again

They put him onto a kiln poor boy, for to roast his bones

But now they served him the worst of all, they crushed him between two stones

Ah poor boy, they crushed him between two stones

They put him into a tub poor boy, for to scold him there

But Barleycorn ran out below and he soon became strong beer

Ah poor boy, he soon became strong beer

Put wine into a glass poor boy, put cider into a can

Put Barleycorn into a pint mug and he’ll prove the noblest man

Ah poor boy, he’ll prove the noblest man

Let any man be strong as he will, as I’ve oft told you before

If he takes too much John Barleycorn he’ll put you onto the floor

Ah poor boy, he’ll put you onto the floor.

The Lady & The Soldier

It was early one morning in the merry month of May
When I spied a young couple together at play.
One was a pretty fair maid, whose beauty shone so clear,
And the other was a soldier, a bold Grenadier.

​

There were kisses and sweet compliments they gave to each other,
They walked hand in hand, like sister and brother.
They walked hand in hand till they came to a spring
Where they both sat down together to hear the nightingale sing.

​

He undid his knapsack and drew out a fiddle,
He put one arm around her, yes, right round her middle.
He played her a merry tune that made the valleys ring,
“Oh, hark!” said the fair maid, “how the nightingales sing!”

​

“Oh, now,” said the soldier, “it's time to give o'er.”
“Oh, no,” said the fair maid, “play me one tune more,
For the listening of your music and the touching of your string,
I'd rather much more have it than hear the nightingale sing.”

​

“Oh, no,” said the fair maid, “will you marry me?”
“Oh, no,” said the soldier, “that can never be.
I've a wife and three children in my own country,
Such a nice little woman as you ever did see.

​

“I am bound for old India for seven long years,
To drink wine and whisky instead of strong beer.
And if ever I return again, may it be in the spring!
When we'll both sit down together to hear the nightingale sing.”

The Two Magicians

She looked out the window as white as any milk,
He looked in the window as black as any silk

​

Hello, hello, hello, hello you coal blacksmith
You have done me no harm
But you never shall have me maidenhead that I have kept so long
I’d rather die a maid
Yes but then she said and be buried all in my grave
Than to have such a nasty husky, musty, fusky, dusty coal blacksmith
A maiden I shall die

​

Then she became a duck, a duck all on the stream
And he became a water dog and fetched her back again

Then she became a hare, a hare upon the plain
And he became a greyhound dog and fetched her back again

​

Then she became a fly, a fly all in the air
And he became a spider and fetched her to his lair

Then she became a rose, a rose all in the wood
And he became a bumblebee and kissed her where she stood

​

She became a star, a star all in the night
And he became a thundercloud and muffled her out of sight

Then she became a nun, a nun all dressed in white
And he became a canting priest and prayed for her by night

​

Then she became a corpse, a corpse all in the ground
And he became the cold cold clay and smothered her all around.