[[Vol. i. p. 99]; [ii. p. 323]; “[All the Boys],” i. 2-6.]
Down in yonder meadow where the green grass grows,
Where (name of girl) she bleaches her clothes;
She sang, she sang, she sang so sweet,
She sang (name of boy) across the street.
He kissed her, he kissed her, he bought her a gown,
He bought her a gown and a guinea gold ring,
A guinea, a guinea, a guinea gold ring,
A feather for the church and a pea-brown hat.
Up the streets and down the streets the windows made of glass,
Oh, isn’t (name of girl) a braw young lass.
But isn’t (name of boy) as nice as she,
And when they get married I hope they will agree.
Agree, agree, I hope they will agree,
And when they get married I hope they will agree.
—Laurieston School, Kirkcudbrightshire (J. Lawson).
Down in yonder meadow where the green grass grows,
Where so and so (a girl’s name) she bleaches her clothes;
She sang, and she sang, and she sang so sweet,
Come over (a boy’s name), come over, come over the street.
So and so (same girl’s Christian name) made a pudding so nice and sweet,
So and so (same boy’s Christian name) took a knife and tasted it.
Taste, love; taste, love; don’t say no,
For the next Sabbath morning to church we must go.
Clean sheets and pillowslips, and blankets an’ a’,
A little baby on your knee, and that’s the best of a’.
Heepie tarrie, heepie barrie, bo barrie grounds,
Bo barrie ground and a guinea gold ring,
A guinea gold ring and a peacock hat,
A cherry for the church and a feather at the back.
She paints her cheeks and she curls her hair,
And she kisses (boy’s name) at the foot o’ the stair.
—Fraserburgh (Rev. Dr. Gregor).
The above are played in the same way as previously described.
Another version, from Perth, says, after the line, “She sang, and she sang” (as above).
Come over the water, come over the street,
She baked him a dumpling, she baked it so sweet
That bonny (Billie Sanders) was fain for to eat, &c.
Down in the meadows where the green grass grows,
There’s where my Nannie she sound her horn;
She sound, she sound, she sound so sweet;
......
Nannie made the puddin’ so nice and so sweet,
Johnny took a knife and he taste a bit;
Love, taste; love, taste, and don’t say nay,
For next Sunday mornin’ is our weddin’-day.
Off wid the thimble and on wid the ring;
A weddin’, a weddin’, is goin’ to begin.
O Nannie, O Nannie, O Nannie my joy,
Never be ashamed for to marry a boy!
For I am but a boy, and I’ll soon be a man,
And I’ll earn for my Nannie as soon as I can.
And every evenin’ when he comes home,
He takes her for a walk on the Circular Road.
And every little girl that he sees passin’ by,
He thinks ’tis his Nannie he has in his eye.
—Howth, Dublin (Miss H. G. Harvey).