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1. I Am A Youth That’s Inclined To Ramble
2. The Jolly Soldier
3. Don’t Come Again
4. Mary And The Soldier
5. Jackson and Jane
6. Paddy’s Green Shamrock shore
7. The Creel

I Am A Youth That’s Inclined To Ramble (traditional)

I am a youth that’s inclined to ramble
To some foreign country I mean to steer
I am loath to part with my friends and comrades
And my dear sweetheart whom I love dear
But there’s one of those I do most admire
On her I’ll think when I’m far away
For since fate’s decreed I am resolved to part her
And try my fortune in Americay.

‘So farewell darling since I must leave you
I place great dependence on your constancy
That no other young man may gain your favour
Or change your mind when I am o’er the sea
For although the seas they do separate us
And in between us they do rise and fall
If fortune favours me you’ll find your Jamie
Returning homeward from Americay’

‘Oh, Jamie dear do you remember
When I sat with you for many’s the hour?
And my young fancy away was carried
And the bees hummed around us on each opening flower?
But when you’re crossing the western ocean
The maid that loved you you’ll ne’er mind a’va
And you’ll scarce e’er think upon the maids of Erin
For you’ll find strange sweethearts in America’

‘Oh Mary dear I don’t dissemble
For to all other fair maids I’ll prove untrue
And if you think that these are false promises
I’ll leave these vows as a pledge to you
That what I have may prove unsuccessful
And fortune prove to me a slippery ball
That a favouring gale it may ne’er blow on me
If i forsake you in America

And so to conclude and to end these verses
May god protect this young female fair
And keep her from every wild embarrassment
And of my darling take the greatest care
For she’s slow to anger and of kind disposition
And her cheeks like roses in June do blaw
In my nightly slumbers
When e’er I think on her
I could court her vision in America

The Jolly Soldier (Traditional)

Oh it’s of a jolly soldier that lately came from war
He loved a fair young damsel, a damsel so fair
And her fortune was so great that it could scarcely be told
And she loved a jolly soldier boy because he was so bold

Oh then cried the lady ‘I fain would be your wife
But me father he is cruel and he’d surely take me life’
He drew out his sword and pistol and he hung them by his side
And he swore that he would marry her and let what would betide

So they went and they got married and as they were coming home
They met with her old father and seven arm-ed men
‘Let us flee’ cried the lady ‘for we surely will be slain’
‘Fear nothing, my dear charmer’ the soldier cried again

Then up came the old man and unto her did say
‘It’s for your disobedience to me this very day
Since you have been so mean as to be a soldier’s wife
Down in this lonesome valley I will surely take your life’

‘Oh now’ cried the soldier ‘I do not like your prattle
For although I am a bridegroom I am well prepared for battle’
He drew out his sword and pistol and he caused them for to roar
And the lady held the bridle while the soldier battled sore

The first one he came to he ran him through ‘ à main’,
And the second one he came to he served him just the same
‘Let us flee’ cried the others ‘for we surely will be slain’
‘Fight on my dear charmer!’ the lady cried again

‘Stay your hand’ cried the old man, ‘you make my blood run cold
And you shall have me daughter and five thousand pounds in gold’
‘Fight on!’ cried the lady ‘for his offer is too small’
‘Stay your hand’ cried the old man ‘and you shall have it all’

So he’s taken them both home and he’s made them both his heirs, and it wasn’t out
of love but it was from dread and fear
For there never was a soldier ever carried a gun
Who would ever flinch or budge an inch till the battle he had won
So don’t despise a soldier just because he poor,
He’s as happy on the battlefield as at the barrack door
For they are the lads to be jovial, brisk and free
And they’ll fight for the pretty girls, for rights and liberty

Don’t Come Again (Traditional)

The first place that I saw my love, it was at a ball
I looked at her, I gazed at her, far above them all
But aye she look-ed on me with scorn and disdain
And the bonny wee lassie’s answer was to no come again
Was to no come again
And the bonny wee lassie’s answer was to no come again

The next place that I saw my love, it was at a wake
I looked at her, I gazed at her, I thought my heart would break
But aye she look-ed on me with scorn and disdain
And the bonnie wee lassie’s answer was to no come again
Was to no come again
And the bonny wee lassie’s answer was to not come again

It being six months after, a little or above
When Cupid shot his arrow and he’s wounded my true love
He’s wounded her severely which caused her to complain
And she’s wrote to me a letter sayin’
“You might come again” sayin'”You might come again”
And she wrote to me a letter, sayin’ “You might come again”

Well, I wrote her back an answer for to let her know
While life was in my body t’was there I wouldnae go
While life was in my body and while it does remain
I will aye mind the girl who said don’t come again
Who said don’t come again
I will aye mind the girl who said don’t come again

So come all you pretty fair maids a warning take by me
Never slight a young man wherever you may be
For if you do you’re sure to rue and cause you to complain
And you’ll aye rue the day that you said,
“Don’t come again” You said “Don’t come again”
And you’ll aye mind the day that you said, “Don’t come again”

Mary And The Soldier (traditional)

Come all you lads of high renown
That would hear of a fair young maiden
And she roved out on a summer’s day
For to view the soldiers parading
They marched so bold and they looked so gay
Their colours flying and the bands did play
And it caused young Mary for to say
“I’ll wed you me my gallant soldier”

She viewed the soldiers on parade
And as they stood at their leisure
And Mary to herself did say:
“At last I’ve found my treasure
But oh how cruel my parents must be
To banish my true love away from me
Well I’ll leave them all and I’ll go with thee
My bold undaunted soldier”

“Oh Mary dear, your parents’ love
I pray don’t be unruly
For when you’re in a foreign land,
Believe me you’ll rue it surely
Perhaps in battle I might fall
From a shot from an angry cannonball
And you so far from your daddy’s hall
Be advised by a gallant soldier.”

“Oh I have fifty guineas in bright gold,
Likewise a heart that’s bolder
And I’d leave them all and I’ll go with you
My bold undaunted soldier
So don’t say no but let me go
And I will face the daring foe
And we’ll march together to and fro
And I’ll wed you, my gallant soldier”

And when he saw her loyalty
And Mary so true-hearted
He said: “My darling, married we’ll be
And nothing but death will part us
And when we’re in a foreign land
I’ll guard you, darling, with my right hand
In hopes that God might stand a friend
To Mary and her gallant soldier”

Jackson & Jane (words traditional, music Paul Brady)

You Monaghan sportsmen I pray you draw near ,
To a few simple verses you quickly shall hear,
It’s the deeds of a hero that lives near Ballybay,
And they call him Hugh Jackson, I hear people say.

His mill, kilns and barns, they do cut a great show,
And his cloth to the North and the City does go.
At bleaching and lapping he does beat them all,
And his cloth was first approved of at the Linen Hall.

And more of his praises I’m going to explain,
So if you will assist me, I’ll sing about Jane,
Search Ireland all over from Cork to Kildare,
And you’ll ne’er find a match for Hugh Jackson’s gray mare.

He went to the stable, to the mare he did say,
‘The hour is approaching and we must away,
For a cup at Cootehill you have twice won with fame,
And this day we are challenged, and you must run again’.

She turned in her stable, ‘Kind Sir, don’t you know,
This cup is my own and I won’t let it go,
For twice I have won it and I mean to do still
And we’ll roll it in splendour from the plains of Cootehill:

The Jockeys were mounted and all in a row,
And if you had a’ been there when off they did go,
The bets they were makin’ ten guineas to four
That the cup back to Creeve would return never more.

When Jane she heard this, well, her mettle did rise,
Over hedges and ditches like lightning she flies,
And with aloud ‘neigher’ these words she did say,
You Bellamont sportsmen, I’ll show yous the way’.

When Jane and her jockey were half round the course,
Miss Jane and her jockey began to discourse,
Said Miss Jane to her jockey ‘Kind Sir let me know,
Where are my opponents or are they in view?’

He turned in the saddle and he cast an eye round,
‘As for Squire Adams, he lies on the ground,
I’m afraid that poor Curry by Spanker is threw,
And the rest of your opponents they are not yet in view.’

When Jane she heard this, she went in at a race,
And into the scales the balance was laid,
The hall was surrounded for Jackson & Jane,
And the cup went with honours back to Creeve once again.

Paddy’s Green Shamrock shore (traditional)

From Derry Quay we sailed away on the 23rd of May
We were boarded by a pleasant crew bound for Americay
Fresh water there we did take on, five thousand gallons or more
In case we’d run short going to New York far away from the Shamrock Shore

So fare thee well sweet Liza dear and likewise to Derry town,
And twice farewell to me comrade boys who dwell on that sainted ground
If fortune it ever should favour me or I to have money in store
I’ll come back and I’ll wed the wee lassie I left on Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

Well we sailed three days and we were all seasick, not a man on board was free
We were all confined unto our bunks with no one to pity poor me
No father dear nor mother kind to hold up me head when t’was sore,
Which made me think more on the lassie I left on Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

Well we safely reached the other side in three and twenty days
We were taken as passengers by a man and led round in six different ways,
We each of us drank a parting glass in case we might never meet more,
And we drank a health to Old Ireland and Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

So fare thee well sweet Liza dear and likewise to Derry town
And twice farewell to me comrade boys who dwell on that sainted ground
If fortune it ever should favour me or I to have money in store
I’ll come back and I’ll wed the wee lassie I left on Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore

The Creel
Traditional arranged Paul Brady
(Round Hill Music)

As I roved out on a moonlight night
Excitement for to find
I met on the way with a pretty little girl
And I asked her to be mine

Chorus
With me tooraya folderiddle da
Me tooray-a right folderiddle-antin-ido

How can I get to your father’s house
How can I get to your bed
Oh me father locks the door at night
And the key lies under his head

If you get a ladder, thirty foot
Thirty foot and three
And place it up to the chimney top
Come down in a creel to me

So I got me a ladder, thirty foot
Thirty foot and three
And I placed it up to the chimney top
And down in a creel came me

But the old one she being still awake
Heard something that was said
I’ll lay me life, said the silly old wife
There’s a man in me daughter’s bed

The old man he got out of bed
For to see if it was true
But she’s pushed me down with her lily-white arms
Under the coverlet blue

Where are you going father, dear
Where are you going so late
You’ve disturbed me at my evening prayers
And, oh, but they were sweet

Well, the Divil take you silly old wife
And an ill death may you die
For your daughter’s lying with the book in her arms
And she’s praying for you and I

But the old one she being still awake
When something else was said
You can say what you like you silly old fool
There’s a man in your daughter’s bed

No rest no peace could the old one get
’til she got up to see
But her foot gave a shot to the chamber pot
And into the creel fell she

Rise and help me husband, dear
Rise and help me now
For the one that you have wished to me
I fear he has me now

Well, the hoult he’s got I hope he keeps
And never lets it go
For between yourself and your daughter dear
It’s time for the cock to crow

Well, I rocked her up and I rocked her down
And I gave her a great downfall
‘Til every rib in the old woman’s side
Played “Nick-nack” against the wall

And it’s oh the blue the bonny blue
And may the blue do well
And may every old woman ‘d refuse her daughter
Be rocked in a creel to hell