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When I was a little baby, 'bout a hundred years ago,
All the way to London my features for to show;
And going over London Bridge my head it did hang down,
It was over hills and over dales and never reach the town.
Sing Fol-de-do.-i-dee, and sing fol-de-dol-i-doe.
The very first man I met was a giant, and his head near reached the sky,
And looking down upon me he bid me to pass by;
I challenged him to wrestle and ne'er to flight to run,
I bet him out of all his tricks and I killed him when I was done.
Sing Fol-de-do.-i-dee, and sing fol-de-dol-i-doe.
The people gathered 'round me to see what I had done,
They gave me a little money, somewhere 'bout fifty tons;
I built myself a little box about eighteen acres square,
And to the top I filled it up all with bright silver clear.
Sing Fol-de-do.-i-dee, and sing fol-de-dol-i-doe.
I bought myself a little dog and a nice little dog was he,
Around the world in a half a day my little dog brought me;
His legs they were nine lanyards long and his paws they spread nine
miles,
Around the world in a half a day on my little dog I'd ride.
Sing Fol-de-do.-i-dee, and sing fol-de-dol-i-doe.
I bought myself a coal black hen of her I took great care,
I sat her on a musselshell and she brought forth a hare;
The hare brought forth as fine a colt as ever your eyes did spy,
And if ever ye hears a funnier yarn I'm sure ye hears a lie.
Sing Fol-de-do.-i-dee, and sing fol-de-dol-i-doe.
Variant of The Lie Song sung by Mrs. Bride Power [b.1873] of Tors Cove, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
Three variants were also collected by Kenneth Peacock and published as A Tale Of Jests in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, by the National Museum Of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
