Play recording: An Old Man Came Courting Me
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- Teideal (Title): An Old Man Came Courting Me.
- Uimhir Chatalóige Ollscoil Washington (University of Washington Catalogue Number): 840120.
- Uimhir Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann (National Folklore of Ireland Number): none.
- Uimhir Roud (Roud Number): 210.
- Uimhir Laws (Laws Number): none.
- Uimhir Child (Child Number): none.
- Cnuasach (Collection): Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.
- Teanga na Croímhíre (Core-Item Language): English.
- Catagóir (Category): song.
- Ainm an té a thug (Name of Informant): Joe Heaney.
- Ainm an té a thóg (Name of Collector): unavailable.
- Dáta an taifeadta (Recording Date): 24/01/1984.
- Suíomh an taifeadta (Recording Location): University of Washington, United States of America.
- Ocáid an taifeadta (Recording Occasion): evening class.
- Daoine eile a bhí i láthair (Others present): unavailable.
- Stádas chóipcheart an taifeadta (Recording copyright status): unavailable.
This was the golden rule: never tell a story in company, or never sing a song, that a twelve-year-old child cannot listen to. That was the golden rule – and still is. You don’t say anything that would, sort of, be bad for a child to hear. And I’ve heard stories – I grew up with stories – I never heard a story that had anything in it except straightforward action and talk. There was no talk about the usual subject at the moment. People grew up… to learn about that themselves. When you’re mature you learn a lot of things that you’re not supposed to learn before you’re mature.
Anyway, this fellow was quite mature, and… hrrrm. I may as well as sing it then. After that we’ll sing a nice song. I’ll sing a nice song with you all.
An old man came courting me, high do oh darity
An old man came courting me, me being young
An old man came courting me,
Then he proposed to me.
Oh, maids when you’re young never wed an old man.
For he’s got no faloorum, fal-diddle fal-doorum
For he’s got no faloorum, fal-diddle fal-dee
He’s got no faloorum,
He lost his ding-doorum
So maids when you’re young, never wed an old man.
Now when we went to the church, high do oh darity
When we went to the church, me being young
When we went to the church,
He lay there in the lurch.
Maids when you’re young, never wed an old man.
Refrain
When we went into bed, high do oh darity
When we went into bed, me being young
When we went into bed,
He lay there as if he was dead.
Maids when you’re young, never wed an old man.
Refrain
I put my leg over him, high do oh darity
I put my leg over him, me being young
I put my leg over him,
Damn’ nearly smothered him.
Maids when you’re young never wed an old man.
Refrain
When he was fast asleep, high do oh darity
When he was fast asleep, me being young
When he was fast asleep,
Out of bed I did creep
Into the arms of a handsome young man.
Oh he had faloorum, fal-diddle fal-doorum
He had faloorum, fal-diddle fal-dee
He had faloorum,
He found my ding-doorum
So maids when you’re young, never wed an old man.