Oh there was a little drummer
And he loved a one-eyed cook,
And he loved her, O he loved her
Though she had a cock-eyed look,


(Chorus)
With her one eye in the pot,
And the t'other up the chimney,
With a Bow-wow-wow,
Fal-lal the dow-a-diddy Bow-wow-wow.

When this couple went a-courtin'
for to walk along the shore,
Sez the drummer to the cookie,
"You're the gel that I adore."

When this couple went a-courtin'
for to walk along the pier,
Sez the cookie to the drummer,
"An' I love you too, my dear."

Sez the drummer to the cookie.
"Ain't the weather fine today?"
Sez the cookie to the drummer,
"Is that all ye got to say?"

Sez the drummer to the cookie,
"Will I buy the weddin' ring?"
Sez the cookie, "Now you're talking.
That would be the very thing."

Sez the drummer to the cookie,
"Will ye name the weddin' day?"
Sez the cookie, "We'll be married
in the merry month o' May."

When they went to the church to say "I will",
the drummer got a nark,
For her one eye gliffed the Parson
and the t'other killed the Clerk.

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Singing Together, Spring 1972, BBC Publications

Notes:
This is identified as "Music hall song and sea-shanty". The acknowlegements say "FABER MUSIC LTD (on behalf of J Curwin and Sons Ltd) for 'The Drummer Boy and the cook' from Shanty Book II'.

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