X:47
T:The Cambric Shirt
T:The Elfin Knight
B:Bronson
C:Trad
O:Flanders, and others, I939, pp. 8-IO. Sung by Amy Perkins;
O:learned from Emery R. Fisher, Rutland, Vt. Transcribed
O:by George Brown. From The New Green Mountain Songster,
O:edited by Helen Hartness Flanders, Elizabeth Flanders
O:Ballard, George Brown, and Phillips Barry; copyright I939
O:by Helen Hartness Flanders.
N:Child 2
M:6/8
L:1/8
N:There are variant versions on stanzas 2, 4, and 5, and
N:stanza 12 is entirely different.
P:ABC ADC ABC AEC AFC (ABC)6 G (ABC)3 % playing order
K:Gmix % Hexatonic ( -7) Ionian/Mixolydian
[P:A] Id | ddd ddd | eBB d3 |
w:Oh, where are you go-ing? I'm go-ing to Lynn.
c2 B A2 A | BBB [P:B]|| G3 | B2 G B2 A/A/ |
w:Eve-ry globe goes mer-ry in time, Give my love to the
GBd [P:C]|| d2 d | eeg BGB | AGA G3 |]
w:la-dy with-in And tell her she's worth a true lov-er of mine.
[P:D] B3 | BGA B3 | d2 d [P:E] ||  G2 G | BGG B2 A | G2 B ||
w:time For to make me a fine time where wat-er ne'r stood nor rain ne-
[P:F] G3 | BGA B2 B | ddd [P:G] ||  Id | ddd d/d/dd | e2 B g3 |
w:time, One that had stood since Ad-am was Oh tell him to cart it on a cake of ice
c2 B A2 A | BBB G3 | B2 A BAA | G2 B d2 d | e2 d ccB | AGA G3 |]
w:Eve-ry globe goes mer-ry in time, Cart it in with a yoke of mice, And he shall be a true lov-er of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, where are you going?" "I'm going to Lynn."
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"Give my love to the lady within
W:And tell her she's worth a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell her to buy her a yard of tow cloth,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"For to make me a fine shirt,
W:And she shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell her to stitch it without any needle,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time.
W:"Stitch it and sew it without any seam,
W:And she shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell her to wash it in yonder dry well,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"Where water ne'er stood nor rain ne'er fell,
W:And she shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell her to hang it on yonder high thorn,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"One that had stood since Adam was born,
W:And she shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell her to iron it with a flat rock,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"One that's ne'er cold and one that's ne'er hot,
W:And she shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell this young lady when she's finished her work,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"Come to me and I'll give her a kiss,
W:And she shall be a true lover of mine."
W:
W:Answer
W:
W:"Oh, where are you going?" "I'm going to Cape Ann."
W:Every globe goes merry in time.
W:"Give my love to this same young man,
W:And tell him he's worthy this true love of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell him to buy him an acre of land,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:" 'Twixt the sea shore and the sea sand,
W:And he shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell him to plow it with an old horse's horn,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"Sow it all over with one peppercorn,
W:And he shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell him to reap it with a sickle of leather,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"Bind it up with a peacock's feather,
W:And he shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell him to cart it on a cake of ice,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time.
W:"Cart it in with a yoke of mice,
W:And he shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell him to stack it in yonder high barn,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"One that ne'er stood since Adam was born,
W:And he shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell him to thresh it with his wooden leg,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time.
W:"Fan it up in the skin of an egg,
W:And he shall be a true lover of mine.
W:
W:"Oh, tell this young man when he's finished his work,"
W:Every globe goes merry in time,
W:"Come to me and I'll give him a kiss,
W:And he shall be a true lover of mine."