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And I'll tell you about her as far as I know...
As I went a-walking one fine summer's evening,
Down by a green meadow I chanced for to go;
I met a fair lassie she appealed to my fancy,
I'll tell you about her as far as I know.
Right fall did I day, right fall did I daddie,
I'll tell you about her as far as I know.
I said, "Fairest lassie, how far are you going,
Who is your father? - I do wish to know."
"My father's a blacksmith, he lives down in Gloucester,
And I am his daughter young Jessie Monroe."
Right fall did I day, right fall did I daddie,
And I am his daughter young Jessie Monroe.
I said, "Dearest Jessie, my heart you have stolen,
Your two pretty eyes they are blacker than sloe;
It's into your arms I long to be falling,
And lie on the bosom of Jessie Monroe."
Right fall did I day, right fall did I daddie,
And lie on the bosom of Jessie Monroe.
She said, "Dearest Johnny, be gone with such flattery,
For young men have sweethearts wherever they go;
They hug them and squeeze them and go away and leave them,
And go away and laugh at Jessie Monroe."
Right fall did I day, right fall did I daddie,
And go away and laugh at Jessie Monroe.
I said, "Dearest Jessie, since you spoke so saucy,
It's back to my own dearest fast as I go;
She's not quite so bonnie, but this her first Johnny,
So go to the devil, young Jessie Monroe!"
Right fall did I day, right fall did I daddie,
So go to the devil, young Jessie Monroe!
Right fall did I day, right fall did I daddie,
So go to the devil, young Jessie Monroe!
So go to the devil, young Jessie Monroe!
So go to the devil, young Jessie Monroe!
This variant arranged and recorded by Shanneyganock (Fling Out The Flag, Avondale Music, 2006).
See more songs by Shanneyganock.A variant was collected by Kenneth Peacock and published as Jessie Munro in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, pp.291-292, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
A variant was collected from Benjamin H. Henneberry of Devil's Island, Nova Scotia, by Helen Creighton [1899-1989] and published as #78, Jessie Munroe in Songs And Ballads From Nova Scotia (J.M. Dent, Toronto, 1932; Dover, New York, 1966).
