Martinmas Time

It fell upon the Martinmas time,
When the snow lay on the border
There came a troop of soldiers here
To take up their winter quarters.

cho: With me right fol-de-lid-dle ly-die lid-dle ly-dee-o
With me right fol-de-lid-dle ly-dee lar-ry.

They rode up and they rode down, and
They rode over the border.
There they met a fair pretty girl
And she was a farmer's daughter.

They made her swear a solemn oath
and salt tear in her eye, oh,
That she would call at their quarter gates
When no-one did her spy, oh.

So she goes to the barber shop
To the abrber shop went soon, oh,
She's made them cut her fine yellow hair
As short as any dragoon, oh.

Then sh goes to the tailor shop
And dresses in soldier's clothes, oh,
A pair of pistols down her side
And a nice little boy was she, oh.

When she comes to the quarter gates,
It's loud, loud she did call, oh,
"There comes a troop of soldiers here
And we must have lodgings all, oh!"

The quartermastr he comes out
He gives her half a crown, oh,
"Go and find lodgings for yourself,
For here there is no room, oh."

But she drew nearer to the gates
And louder did she call, oh:
"Room, room, you gentlemen,
We must have lodgings all, oh!"

The quartermaster he comes out
He gives her eighteen pence, oh
"Go and find lodgings in the town
For tonight there comes a wench, oh."

She's pulled the garters from he legs
The ribbons from her hair, oh,
She's tied them 'round the quarter gates
As a token she'd been there, oh.

She drew a whistle from her side,
And blew it loud and shrill, oh
"You're all very free with your eighteen pence
But you're not for a girl at all, oh."

And when they knew that it was her
They tried to overtake her.
She's clapped her spurs to the horse's side
And she's galloped home a maiden.

From Harmonious Companions, Myers
Transcribed from the singing of Anne Briggs
RG
apr96