Trad. Music (c) 2002, Justin Eiler
Notes: A fun little song about a loving couple.... I got tired of looking for a tune to this delightful song, so I wrote one myself.
It fell about a Martinmas a gay time it was then, oh That our good wife had puddings to make she boiled them in a pan, oh The wind blew cold, the leaves from North It blew into through the door, oh Said our good man to our good wife, "Get up and bar the door, oh." "Me hand is in me hussy skip (1) Good man as ye may see, oh- If it's not barred this hundred years It won't be barred by me, oh." They made a pact between the two They made it firm and sure, oh Whoe'er should speak the foremost word should rise and bar the door, oh Then by and came two gentlemen At twelve o'clock at night, oh And they could see that in the house There was no fire nor light, oh "Oh, have we here a rich man's house Or have we here a poor, oh?" But ne'er a word the couple spake for barring of the door, oh So first they ate the white pudding and then they ate the black, oh The good wife thought much to herself But ne'er a word she spake, oh Then one unto the other said "Here man, take ye my knife, oh Do you take up the old man's beard and I'll kiss his good wife, oh" "But there's no water in the house So what shall we do then, oh" "What ails ye of the pudding brew that boils in yonder pan, oh" Oh up then started our good man An angry man was he, oh "You kissed me wife before me eyes- Don't scald me with the brew, oh" The goodman took the poker up And beat the robbers sore, oh. He picked them up from off the floor And flung them out the door, oh. And up then started our good wife Give three skips on the floor, oh "Old man, you spake the foremost word, Get up and bar the door, oh."
(1) "Hussy Skip": Sewing box.