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Little Beggar Man (Little John Cameron) w/lyrics and videos
See also: Jolly Beggar Dude (Great Big Sea)
And also: The Jolly Beggarman (Collected by Barry Taylor)

   #1189: YouTube video by oldirishladdie ©2010
                   ~ Used with permission ~

Diddly-i-diddle-i-doodle-i-do-die-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-dum
Diddly-i-diddly-i-diddly-i-dee-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-doo-dah-dum.

Ya-da-de-diddle-die-dum,
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-dum
Diddly-i-diddly-i-diddly-i-dee-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-doo-dah-dum.

I am a little beggar man, a-begging I have been,
Now for three score and more on this little isle of green;
I'm known from the Liffy and down to Segue,
And I go by the name of ol' Johnny Dhu.

Of all the trades a going, know that begging is the best,
For when a man is tired he can sit down and rest;
He begs for his dinner if he's nothing else to do,
When he cuts around the corner in his old ragadoo.

Diddly-i-diddle-i-doodle-i-do-die-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-dum
Diddly-i-diddly-i-diddly-i-dee-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-doo-dah-dum.

Diddley-i-doo-da-diddle-die-dum,
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-dum
Diddly-i-diddly-i-diddly-i-dee-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-doo-dah-dum.

I met a little flaxen-haired girl one day,
Good morning, little flaxen-haired girl, I did say;
Good morning, little beggar man, and how do you do,
With your rags and your tags and your old ragadoo?

I'll buy a pair of goggles and a collar and a tie,
And an old fashioned lady I should bring by and by;
I'll buy a pair of goggles and I'll color them blue,
And an old fashioned lady I shall make her too.

Diddly-i-diddle-i-doodle-i-do-die-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-dum
Diddly-i-diddly-i-diddly-i-dee-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-doo-dah-dum.

Ya-da-de-diddle-die-dum,
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-dum
Diddly-i-diddly-i-diddly-i-dee-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-doo-dah-dum.

Must be going to bed, but it's getting late at night,
Now the fire's all right, so out with the light;
Now you heard the story of me old ragadoo,
Goodbye and God be with you, from old Johnny Dhu.

Diddly-i-diddle-i-doodle-i-do-die-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-dum
Diddly-i-diddly-i-diddly-i-dee-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-doo-dah-dum.

Ya-da-de-diddle-die-dum,
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-diddly-i-dum
Diddly-i-diddly-i-diddly-i-dee-dum
Diddly-doo-dah-diddly-i-doo-dah-dum.

Dum-diddy-ya-da-...-...

####.... Author unknown. Variant of an Irish street ballad, The Little Beggarman (Johnny Dhu) ....####
This variant appears to be an abbreviated derivative of The Oul' Rigadoo from Sam Henry's Songs Of The People, #H751, pp.50-51, 1938, and is from a taped television performance by John Barr aka "Little" John Cameron from Blantyre, Scotland and Torbay, NL [1943-2002] on the Sons Of Erin self-titled Newfoundland Television (NTV) music series broadcast [c.1980] on Saturday mornings. NTV won three CanPro awards in 1981 for their locally produced shows, one of which was the Sons Of Erin music series.

This variant was also recorded by Johnny Cameron (Little Johnny Cameron, trk#6, 1974, Audat Records, Oshawa, Ontario, engineered by Ron Duclos at MUN Studio, St. John's, NL, and produced by FiveTake Group Productions).

See more songs by "Little" John Cameron.

A variant was arranged and recorded as Jolly Beggar Dude by Great Big Sea (Play, hidden track, 1997, Warner Music Canada, Scarborough, Ontario).

A variant was collected as The Jolly Beggarman by Barry Taylor.

Liffey - (An Life in Irish) is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.

The YouTube video below features a variant by the Navigators from a compilation album with various artists (Welcome To The Experience, trk#2, 2001, recorded live by Rick Barela and Mark Neary during St. Patrick's Weekend March 15-19, 2001, at O'Reilly's Irish Newfoundland Pub in St. John's, NL).

See more songs by the Navigators.


   #1492: YouTube video by TheNewfoundlandMusic ©2010
                   ~ Used with permission ~





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