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I was twenty-one when I first began to court a neighbour's child,
Her figure's tall and handsome, she won my heart's free guile;
I asked her if she'd marry me in time to let me know,
With pleasures now I'll wait awhile ten years for Katie-o.
She says, young man, be easy and tarry another while,
And don't be so pressing me, what am I but a child;
If you intend to marry me away now from me go,
And don't torment a figure like lovely Katie-O.
And when she found the other one I'm sure he lost no time,
'Twas straight before the clergy in wedlock they were joined;
It would break the heart of any young man if they were standing by,
To hear the remarks they were making while the bride and groom passed by.
And now she's gone and left me in this wide world all alone,
And where to find another like her I don't know where to roam;
And where to find another like her I don't know where she may be,
For cruel hearted Katie she proved unkind to me.
Come all you sporting fellows, a warning take by me,
Don't ever trust to any young girl no matter what she say;
Don't ever trust to any young girl no matter who she may be,
For cruel hearted Katie she proved unkind to me.
See more songs by Mark Walker.
Collected in 1951 from John C. Molloy of St. Shott's, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA
A similar variant was also collected in 1951 from George Carew of Trepassey, NL, and publshed as Katie-O in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
Another variant was collected in 1976 from Cyril Keough of Plate Cove, NL, by Genevieve Lehr and Anita Best and published as #69, Lovely Katie-O, in Come And I Will Sing You: A Newfoundland Songbook, pp.121-122, edited by Genevieve Lehr (University of Toronto Press © 1985/2003).
Genevieve Lehr noted that this tragi-comic song was composed by Mark Walker who, it seems, was courting one Katie when Mike Whelan, a chap from Indian Arm (now called Summerville, Bonavista Bay), made off with the lovely maid. Lehr also noted that Mark Walker seems to have had his share of misfortunes with women — the scrap on Fanny's Harbour Bawn is true testimony.
