"Ho! yonder stands a charming creature,
Who she is I do not know,
I'll go court her for her beauty,
Until she do say yes or no."

Chorus:
Twenty, eighteen, sixteen, fourteen,
Twelve, ten, eight, six four, two, nought;
Nineteen, seventeen, fifteen, thirteen,
Eleven, nine and seven, five, three and one.

"Ho! Madam, I am come to court you,
If your favour I may gain;
And if you will entertain me
Perhaps I may come this way again."

"Ho! Madam I have rings and jewels,
Madam I have house and land,
Madam, I have wealth and treasures,
All shall be at your command."

"Ho! what care I for your rings and jewels?
What care I for your house and land?
What care I for your wealth and treasures?
All I want is a handsome man."

"Ho! first come cowslips and then come daisies,
First comes night and then comes day;
First comes the new love, and then comes the old one,
And so we pass our time away."

"Ho! the ripest apple is the soonest rotten,
The hottest love is the soonest cold;
Lover's vows are soon forgotten,
So I pray, young man, be not so bold."

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Lucy Broadwood and J A Fuller Maitland. 1893, English County Songs, London, Leadenhall Press

Notes:
Words and music from Besthorpe, near Attleborough. Norfolk, qouted in the Musical Herald for September, 1891.

On the 4-LP issue of "A Song for Every Season", Bob Copper mentions this song as one that he used to sing (1st verse only) as part of a competition to sing the fastest song.

Classified with No Sir; O No John; also Ripest [of] Apples; The Spanish Lady, and so on; though other examples of these are assigned to number 542 (Madam I am Come to Court You etc) so there is evidently a seriously blurred boundary between the various songs.


Roud: 146 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: