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An old man he courted me, fal the dol doodle,
An old man he courted me, hi derry down;
An old man he courted me all for to marry me;
Maids when you're young never wed an old man.

For, he has no fal the dol all the dol doodle,
Oh, he has no fal the dol diddle the one,
He has no filoodle, he's lost his ding-doodle,
So maids while you're young never wed an old man.

It's when that we went to church, fal the dol doodle,
It's then that we went to church, hi derry down,
It's when that we went to church he left me in the lurch;
Maids while you're young never wed an old man.

It's when we were coming home, fal the dol doodle,
Oh, when we were coming home, hi derry down,
It's when we were coming home he let me walk alone;
Maids while you're young never wed an old man.

It's when at supper set, fal the dol doodle,
When at supper set, hey derry down,
It's when at supper set devil a bite he could eat;
Maids when you're young never wed an old man.

Oh, it's when that we went to bed, fal the dol doodle,
It's when that we went to bed, hi derry down,
It's when that we went to bed, he lay as if he was dead;
Maids when you're young never wed an old man.

I threw me leg over him, fal the dol doodle,
I threw me leg over him, hi derry down,
I threw me leg over him, I swore I would smother him;
Maids when you're young never wed an old man.

Oh, it's when he fell fast aslep, fal the dol doodle,
Oh, when he fell fast asleep, hi derry down,
It's when he fell fast asleep, out of bed I did creep,
And into the arms of a sporting young man.

Oh, there we did sport and play, fal the dol doodle,
Oh, there we did sport and play, hi derry down,
It's there we did sport and play until the break of day;
Then I crept back to my lazy old man.




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Source: The Penguin Book of Canadian Folk Songs.

Notes:
Abridged from The Penguin Book.

The young girl who weds an old man is the subject of many ballads, but this one seems to be the most popular in British tradition. It first appeared in Herd's 'Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs' in 1776 as 'Scant of love, Want of Love'. In England Kidson printed a stanza in 'Traditional Tunes' in 1891 and in 1906 the air of another version was noted in Yorkshire. Joyce found it in Ireland, and Mr Abbott learned his around 1895 from Johnny Hopewell who came from Ireland to farm in Ottowa.

Roud: 210 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
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