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As I roved out one May morning,
One May morning so early,
I met a dark and comely maid,
And her hair hung down her shoulder.
With my rue-rye-ah, fall-a-diddle-ay,
Rye-oh fall-a-diddle die-doh.
Where are you going my pretty fair maid,
Where are you going my honey?
'Twas with a smile she answered me:
"I've a message for my mama.
With my rue-rye-ah, fall-a-diddle-ay,
Rye-oh fall-a-diddle die-doh."
How old are you my pretty fair maid,
How old are you my honey?
'Twas with a smile she answered me:
"I am seventeen come Sunday.
With my rue-rye-ah, fall-a-diddle-ay,
Rye-oh fall-a-diddle die-doh."
Oh you are too young to take a man,
You are too young to marry;
'Twas with a smile she answered me:
"Just step aside and try me
With my rue-rye-ah, fall-a-diddle-ay,
Rye-oh fall-a-diddle die-doh."
Oh I went to her mama's house,
When the moon shone bright and clearly;
And she arose and let me in,
And her mama did not hear me
With my rue-rye-ah, fall-a-diddle-ay,
Rye-oh fall-a-diddle die-doh.
This variant collected in 1951 from Howard Morry of Ferryland, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, pp.284-285 by The National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
"How old are you my pretty fair maid,
How old are you my honey?"
She answered me quite cheerfully,
"I am seventeen come Sunday."
With my rue-die-ah, fall-the-diddle-ah,
Fall the doleful lie day.
"You're rather young for to take a man,
You're rather young my honey."
"Oh if you think I'm not of age
"You can go ahead and try me.
With my rue-die-ah, fall-the-diddle-ah,
Fall the doleful lie day.
This variant was collected in 1960 from George Samms of Codroy, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, p.286, by The National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
Kenneth Peacock noted that this amusing ditty has wide currency in both North America and in England where it originated. Despite its light-hearted mood there is a sinister undercurrent suggested by use of the word 'rue' in both variants. The double meaning of the word is clearer in the following verse from The Seeds Of Love collected by Cecil Sharp.
My garden it is run wild
For the want of planting it new
The beds that used to be covered with thyme
Are all run into rue.
Peacock continued by noting that in her eagerness to have her garden planted, this 'dark and comely maid,' who will be seventeen come Sunday, also runs the risk of having it 'all run into rue.' Notice also, Peacock adds, the words 'fall,' 'doleful,' and 'die.' He summarizes with, "The nonsense vocables in this sort of chorus have more meaning than generally supposed."
Kenneth Peacock also recorded a variant as Seventeen Come Sunday on the album Songs and Ballads of Newfoundland, Folkways FG 3505, LP (1956) Cut #B.07.
A variant was also 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 as As I Roved Out by The Fables (A Time, 2000).
A variant was also recorded as As I Roved Out by Great Big Sea - Pre GBS (Rankin Street Tape - Live At The Blarneystone, 1991).
See more songs by Great Big Sea.
Click to jump back up to Variant A.
Click to jump back up to Variant B.
