Tarry trowsers
Language: English
One fine morning as I was walking, The weather being bright and clear, I overheard a tender mother, Talking to her daughter dear. "Daughter, I would have you marry, No longer lead a single life." "O no," said she, "I'd rather tarry, For my jolly sailor bright." "Sailors they are given to roving, Into foreign parts they go; Then they leave you broken-hearted, Full of sorrow, grief and woe." "Mother, would you have me wed a farmer, Take from me my heart's delight! Give me the lad whose tarry tarry trowsers Shine to my eyes like diamonds bright."
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by George Sainton Kaye Butterworth (1885 - 1916), "Tarry trowsers", from Folk Songs from Sussex, no. 11. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 98