| There was an old widow in Westmorland who had no daughter but one
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| And she has prayed both night and day she should keep her maidenhead long
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| «Ah, don’t be daft, mother,» she said, «and say no more to me
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| For a fine young man in the Grenadier Guards my maidenhead’s taken from me»
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| «You saucy cat, you impudent cat, a-cursed may you be
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| If some idle rogue in the Grenadier Guards your maidenhead’s taken from thee»
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| But the girlie’s off to the Grenadier Guards as fast as go can she
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| Saying «Give me back my maidenhead, my mother she nags at me»
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| So he kissed her and undressed her and he laid her on the bed
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| And he put her head where her feet were before and gave back her maidenhead
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| Then he kissed her and he dressed her with a rose in either hand
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| Invited her round to St. Mary’s church to see his fine wedding
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| Oh, the girlie’s off to her mammy’s house as fast as go can she
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| «I'm as full a maiden, mammy dear, as the day you first bore me
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| He kissed me and undressed me and he laid me on the bed
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| Put my head where my feet were before and he gave back my maidenhead
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| Then he kissed me and he dressed me, put a rose in either hand and
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| Invited me round to St. Mary’s church to see his fine wedding
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| «Ah, never on foot,» her mammy she said, «in a carriage and pair you’ll ride
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| With four and twenty fine young girls to go with you beside»
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| «Ah, who is this?» |
| the bride she said, «She comes so high to me»
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| «I see it is the widow’s daughter who ran home and told her mammy»
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| «How could she do it, how would she do it, how could she do it for shame?
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| Eleven long nights I lay with a man and I never told anyone»
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| «If eleven long nights you lay with a man, you never shall lie with me
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| I’d rather marry the widow’s daughter who ran home and told her mammy» |