Yarmouth Town (Ryan's Fancy) with lyrics and video
See also: Yarmouth Town (Great Big Sea)
And also: Jolly Jack (The Punters)
And also: Jack The Jolly Tar (Collected by Kenneth Peacock)

In Yarmouth town there lived a man,
And he had a little tavern by the strand;
The landlord had a daughter fair,
A pretty little thing with the golden hair.

Now won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?

Well then one day a sailor man,
He asked the daughter for her hand;
Oh, why should I marry you she said,
I have all I want without being wed.

Now won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?

But if with me you'd like to linger,
I'll tie a piece of string all around me finger;
And as you pass by, just pull on the string,
I'll come down and I'll let you all in.

Now won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?

Well then in time the sailor man,
He's gone to the tavern down by the strand;
And as he passed by he pulled on the string,
She come down and she let them all in.

Now won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?

Well, the sailor stayed the whole night through,
And early in the morning he went back to his crew;
And when he told them of the maiden fair,
The pretty little thing with the golden hair.

Now won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?

Well, the news it soon got around,
The very next night in Yarmouth town;
There were fifteen sailors pulling on the string,
She come down and she let them all in.

Now won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?

So all the men who to Yarmouth go,
If ya see a little girl with her hair hung low;
Well, all ya gotta do is pull on the string,
She'll come down and she'll let you all in.

Now won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?

Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down?
Won't you come down to Yarmouth town?

####.... Author unknown. Variant of a 19th century British broadside ballad, Jack The Jolly Tar (I), [Laws K40] American Balladry From British Broadsides (G. Malcolm Laws, 1957). Also a variant of an old British broadside ballad The Merchant's Courtship To The Brazier's Daughter, published without a publisher's name and without a date, and archived at The Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, shelfmark: Harding B 22(169) ....####

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