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As I Roved Out (Great Big Sea)
See also: As I Roved Out (Ryan's Fancy)
See also: As I Roved Out (The Fables)
And also: Seventeen Come Sunday (recorded by Peacock)
And also: I'll Be Seventeen Come Sunday (collected by Peacock)

Oh, who are you me fair pretty maid,
And who are you me darling?
Oh, who are you me fair pretty maid,
And who are you me darling?
She answered me quite modestly,
"I am me mother's daughter."
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.

"Will you come to me house in the middle of the night,
When the moon is shining brightly?
Will you come to me house in the middle of the night,
When the moon is shining brightly?
And I'll open the door and I'll let you in,
The devil's the one that'll hear us."
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.

She took me horse by the bridle and bit,
And she led him to the stable;
She took me horse by the bridle and bit,
And she led him to the stable.
Saying, "Plenty of hay for a soldier's horse,
To eat if he is able."
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.

She took me by her lily-white hand,
And she led me to her table;
She took me by her lily-white hand,
And she led me to her table.
Saying, "Plenty of rum for a soldier boy,
To drink if he is able."
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.

Then I went up and I laid her down,
And I laid her nice and easy;
Then I went up and I laid her down,
And I laid her nice and easy.
Then I went up and laid her down,
"Lassie, are you able?"
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.

And there we lay till the break of day,
And the devil's the one that heard us;
And there we lay till the break of day,
And the devil's the one that heard us;
Then I arose, puttin' on me clothes,
"Lassie, I must leave you."
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.

"Oh, when will you return again,
When will we be married?
Oh, when will you return again,
And when will we be married?"
"When cockle shells make rocket shells,
It's then we will be married."
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.

Oh, who are you me fair pretty maid,
And who are you me darling?
Oh, who are you me fair pretty maid,
And who are you me darling?
She answered me quite modestly,
"I am me mother's daughter."
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.
With a touray ah, faddle liddle ah,
Toura loura laddie oh.

####.... Author unknown. Variant of a 19th century British broadside ballad [Laws O17] American Balladry From British Broadsides (G.Malcolm Laws, 1957). Also a variant of a British broadside ballad, Seventeen Come Sunday, published by J. Paul and Co. (London) sometime between 1838 and 1845, and archived at the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, shelfmark: Firth b.34(67). ....####

Arranged by Great Big Sea - Pre GBS (Rankin Street Tape - Live At The Blarneystone, 1991)

See more songs by Great Big Sea.

A variant was also recorded as As I Roved Out by The Fables (A Time, 2000).

See more songs by The Fables.

Another variant was arranged and recorded as As I Roved Out by Ryan's Fancy (Irish Love Songs, Boot Records 1982.

See more songs by Ryan's Fancy.

A variant was also recorded by Kenneth Peacock as Seventeen Come Sunday on the album Songs and Ballads of Newfoundland, Folkways FG 3505, LP (1956) Cut #B.07.

Two variants were collected by Ken Peacock and published as I'll Be Seventeen Come Sunday in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, by The National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.

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