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One misty moisty morning, when cloudy was the weather,
I met with an old man, he was clothèd all in leather;
He was clothèd all in leather with his cap beneath his chin, singing,
Howdedo and howdedo and howdedo again.
I went a little further and there I met a maid,
Well a maid a-goin' a-milking, and milkin', sir, she said;
And I began to compliment and she began to sing, singing,
Howdedo and howdedo and howdedo again.
This rustic was a treasure as on his way he hied,
All with a little bottle fast buckled by his side;
He wore no shirt upon his back but wool unto his skin, singing,
Howdedo and howdedo and howdedo again.
This maid, her name was Dolly, clothed in a gown of grey,
And feeling somewhat jolly, persuaded her to stay;
And then in kind embraces I strolled her double chin, singing,
Howdedo and howdedo and howdedo again.
I said that I would married be and she would be my bride,
And lonely should not tarry and twenty things beside;
I'll plough and mow and reap and sow and you will sit and spin, singing,
Howdedo and howdedo and howdedo again.
Her parents then consented, all parties were agreed,
Her portion thirty shillings, we married were with speed;
And Will, the piper, he did play, while others dance and sing, singing,
Howdedo and howdedo and howdedo again.
Now, Bobby plays the mandolin for the many damsels gay,
Along with Fay and Dolly to celebrate the day;
And when they came together their hats they all did fling, singing,
Howdedo and howdedo and howdedo again;
Singing, howdedo and howdedo and howdedo and howdedo again.
This variant was arranged and recorded by Rankin Street (Pre-GBS tape - Live At The Blarneystone Pub in St. John's, NL, trk#5, 1991, NRA Productions, Ltd).
See more songs by Great Big Sea.
The YouTube video above features an excellent performance of a variant by Stephen Rowe of Heart's Content and Gander, NL.
A variant was also published as One Misty, Moisty Morning in 1962 by William S. Baring-Gould and Ceil Baring-Gould in The Annotated Mother Goose, #140, p.114.
