Grandma's Advice

My grandma lived in yonder village green
The finest old lady that ever was seen
And she often cautioned me with care
Of all false young men to beware

Timy i, timy i, ti timy imy a
Tum ti timy, timy i, mi a
And she often cautioned me with care
Of all false young men to beware

The first that came to court me was young Johnny Green
The finest young man that ever was seen
But the words of my grandma kept ringing in my head
And I didn't hear a word of all he said

The next that came to court me was young Ellis Grove
'Twas then that we met with a joyous love
With a joyous love I couldn't be afraid
Better get married than die an old maid

Says I to myself, there must be some mistake
For to see what a fuss the old folks make
If the girls of the boys had all been so afraid
Then grandma herself would have died an old maid

from Sam Henry's Songs of the People
collected in Donegal in 1927
SOF