Volume I Part 86 (1/2)

”What eileth you? some gay girle (G.o.d it wote) Hath brought you thus on the merry tote.”

Merry-ma-tansa

[Music]

-Biggar (Wm. Ballantyne).

I. Here we go round by jingo-ring, Jingo-ring, and jingo-ring, Here we go round by jingo-ring, About the merry-ma-tansa.

Come name the lad you like the best, Like the best, like the best, Come name the lad you like the best, About the merry-ma-tansa.

Guess ye wha's the young gudeman, The young gudeman, the young gudeman, Come guess ye wha's the young gudeman About the merry-ma-tansa.

Honey's sweet and so is he, So is he, so is he, Honey's sweet and so is he, About the merry-ma-tansa.

[Or-

Crab-apples are sour and so is he, So is he, so is he, Crab-apples are sour and so is he, About the merry-ma-tansa.]

Can she bake and can she brew?

Can she shape and can she sew, 'Boot a house can a' things do?

About the merry-ma-tansa?

She can bake and she can brew, She can shape and she can sew, 'Boot a house can a' things do, About the merry-ma-tansa.

This is the way to wash the clothes, Wash the clothes, wash the clothes, This is the way to wash the clothes, About the merry-ma-tansa.

[Then follows verses for wringing clothes, ironing, baking bread, was.h.i.+ng hands, face, combing hair, was.h.i.+ng and sweeping the house, and a number of other things done in housekeeping. The boy then presents the girl with a ring, and they all sing-]

Now she's married in a goud ring, A gay goud ring, a gay goud ring, Now she's married in a goud ring, About the merry-ma-tansa.

A gay goud ring is a dangerous thing, A cankerous thing, a cankerous thing, A gay goud ring is a dangerous thing, About the merry-ma-tansa.

Now they're married we wish them joy, Wish them joy, wish them joy, Now they're married we wish them joy, About the merry-ma-tansa.

Father and mother they must obey, Must obey, must obey, Father and mother they must obey, About the merry-ma-tansa.

Loving each other like sister and brother, Sister and brother, sister and brother, Loving each other like sister and brother, About the merry-ma-tansa.

We pray this couple may kiss thegither, Kiss thegither, kiss thegither, We pray this couple may kiss thegither, About the merry-ma-tansa.

[If any lad was left without a partner, the ring sing-]

Here's a silly auld man left alone, Left alone, left alone, He wants a wife and can't get none, About the merry-ma-tansa.

-Biggar (William Ballantyne).

II. Here we go the jingo-ring, The jingo-ring, the jingo-ring, Here we go the jingo-ring, About the merry-ma-tansie.

Twice about, and then we fa', Then we fa', then we fa', Twice about, and then we fa', About the merry-ma-tansie.