Index Page
GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador
~ Copyright Info ~
~ Privacy Policy ~
'Twas of a jolly boatswain, in London town did dwell,
He had a handsome wife, and a tailor loved her well;
When the boatswain was gone to sea __(unknown text)__
The frolic with the boatswain's wife the tailor he did play.
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.
The boatswain he came home in the middle of the night,
Put the tailor in the hell of a fright;
"Hide me, O hide me!" the tailor he did cry,
"For it is your husband, tonight I have to die."
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.
"There is an old chest that is standing outside;
You may jump into that and a-cunning you may lie."
O he drove on with his breeches and his hose,
While she followed after with the rest of his clothes.
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.
She ran downstairs and she opened the door,
She saw her husband, and her husband saw her;
She caught him by the waist and she gived to him a kiss,
He says, "My loving woman, what do you mean by this?"
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.
"I'm sorry, loving wife, I've come for my chest,
I'm sorry loving woman, to disturb you from your rest;
Our ship she weighs anchor all ready for to sail,
We're bounding away with a prospering gale."
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.
And in walked the boatswain and five more so strong,
They picked up the chest and they carried it along;
They lugged it along to the end of the town,
And the weight of the chest caused the sweat to roll down.
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.
Says one to the other, "Let's lay him down to rest."
"O, no," says the other, "For the devil's in the chest."
"O, no," cried the boatswain, "You needn't for to fear,
For it is a scurvy tailor, now I've got him here."
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.
They took the poor tailor and they put him in the nook,
No one to touch him in the longboat came up;
He opened the cover in the view of them all,
He's just like a hawk in the cobbler's stall.
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.
"O, now, Mr. Tailor, what brought you here?
O' now, Mr. Tailor, you needn't for to fear;
For I will press on you and send you off to sea,
No longer you'll stay home a-cuckolding of me."
With my diddle lol, de diddle lol, de dee.