tears for beers - raggle taggle gypsy lyrics
there were three gypsies a come to my door,
and down stairs ran this a-lady, o.
one sang high and another sang low
and the other sang bonny bonny biscay o
then she pulled off her silk finished gown,
and put on hose of leather, o
the ragged ragged rags about our door
and she’s gone with the wraggle, taggle gypsies o
it was late last night when my lord came home,
inquiring for his a-lady o
the servants said on every hand
she’s gone with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, o
o saddle to me my milk-white steed
and go and fetch me my pony, o
that i may ride and seek my bride,
who’s gone with the wraggle-taggle gypsies o
o he rode high, and he rode low
he rode through wood and copses too,
until he came to a wide open field,
and there he espied his a-lady o
what makes you leave you house and land?
what makes you leave you money, o?
what makes you leave you new-wedded lord,
to follow the wraggle-taggle gypsies, o.
what care i for my house and land?
what care i for my money, o?
what care i for my new-wedded lord,
i’m off with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, o!
“last night you slept on a goosefeather bed,
with the sheet turned down so bravely, o.
tonight you’ll sleep in a cold open field,
along with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, o.”
“what care i for a goose-feather bed,
with the sheet turned down so bravely, o.
for tonight i’ll sleet in a cold open field,
along with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, o.
info:
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dorothy scarborough in her “song catcher from the southern
mountains” says that in the earliest edition of the ballad, the
gypsy is called johnny faa, a name common among gypsies. when
the gypsies were banished from scotland in 1624, johnny faa
disobeyed the decree and was hanged.
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