Lyrics:
As I roved out on a May morning
On a May morning right early
I spied my love upon the way
Oh, Lord but she was early
Her shoes were black, her stockings white
And her buckles shone like silver
She had a dark and a roving eye
And her ear-rings touched her shoulder
And she sang
Lith-a-doo-a, lith-a-doo-a lith-a-doo-a-dee,
And she high-dil-dumma-dee, high-dil-dumma-dee
And she landed, and she sang
Lith-a-doo-a, lith-a-doo-a lith-a-doo-a-dee,
And she high-dil-dumma-dee, high-dil-dumma-dee
And she landed
“How old are you my bonny, wee girl?
How old are you my Darling?
How old are you my bonny, wee girl?”
“I’ll be seventeen on Sunday”
Well I went to her house on the top of the hill
When the moon was shining clearly
When she arose to let me in
Her mommy chanced to hear me
And she sang
Lith-a-doo-a, lith-a-doo-a lith-a-doo-a-dee,
And she high-dil-dumma-dee, high-dil-dumma-dee
And she landed, and she sang
Lith-a-doo-a, lith-a-doo-a lith-a-doo-a-dee,
And she high-dil-dumma-dee, high-dil-dumma-dee
And she landed
She grabbed her by the hair of her head
And out of the room she brought her
And with the root of a hazel branch
She was a well-beat daughter
“Will you marry me now my soldier boy
Will you marry me now or never?
Will you marry me now my soldier boy
Can you see I’m done forever”
And she said
Lith-a-doo-a, lith-a-doo-a lith-a-doo-a-dee,
And she high-dil-dumma-dee, high-dil-dumma-dee
And she landed, and she sang
Lith-a-doo-a, lith-a-doo-a lith-a-doo-a-dee,
And she high-dil-dumma-dee, high-dil-dumma-dee
And she landed
“Well I won’t marry you my bonny wee girl,
I won’t marry you my Darling.
For I have got a wife at home
And how could I disown her?”
As I roved out on a May morning
On a May morning right early
I spied my love upon the way
Oh, Lord but she was early
Lith-a-doo-a, lith-a-doo-a lith-a-doo-a-dee,
And she high-dil-dumma-dee, high-dil-dumma-dee
And she landed, and she sang
Lith-a-doo-a, lith-a-doo-a lith-a-doo-a-dee,
And she high-dil-dumma-dee, high-dil-dumma-dee
And she landed
Additional Verses
From the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre:
“Where are you going, my pretty maid?
Where are you going my honey?”
She answered me quite cheerfully
“On an errand for my mammie”
“Will you take my arm, my pretty maid
Will you take my arm, my honey?”
She answered me right cheerfully
I will not for my mammie
“But if you’ll come down to my mammie’s house
In the evening soft and early,
She’ll open the door and let you in
While the moon shines bright and clearly.”
The I went down to her mammie’s house
In the evening bright and early,
And there I won the pretty fair maid
I loved both true and dearly.
From English John on Mudcat:
For the fifes and drums are my delight
And the bugles sweetly sounding
And it’s, “Oh my love, I must leave you now
But I’ll be back for your mother in the morning”
From a Cecil Sharp manuscript:
I went unto her mammy’s house
When the moon was shining clearly
She did come down and let me in
And I laid in her arms till morning
From The Idiom of the People by James Reeves (1958):
Now soldier, will you marry me
Now is your time, or never
For if you do not marry me
I am undone forever
And now she is the soldier’s wife
And the soldier loves her dearly
The drum and fife is her delight
And a merry man in the morning
Lyrics Sung by Seamus Ennis, 1947
As I roved out one bright May morning
One May morning early
As I roved out one bright May morning
One May morning early
I met a maid upon the way
She was her mama’s darling
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
Her shoes were black and her stockin’s white
And her hair shines like the silver
Her shoes were black and her stockin’s white
And her hair shines like the silver
She has two nice bright sparkling eyes
And her hair hangs o’er her shoulder
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
“What age are you, my pretty fair maid?
What age are you, my darling?”
“What age are you, my pretty fair maid?
What age are you, my darling?”
She answered me quite modestly
“I’m sixteen years next Monday morning”
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
“And will you come to my Mama’s house?
The moon shines bright and clearly
“And will you come to my Mama’s house?
The moon shines bright and clearly
O, open the door, and let me in
And Dada will not hear us”
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
She took me by the lily-white hand
And led me to the table
She took me by the lily-white hand
And led me to the table
There’s plenty of wine for soldiers here
As far as they can take it
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
She took my horse by the bridle rein
And led him to the stable
She took my horse by the bridle rein
And led him to the stable
There’s plenty of hay for a soldier’s horse
As far as they are able
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
And she went up and dressed the bed
And dressed it soft and easy
And she went up and dressed the bed
And dressed it soft and easy
And I went up to tuck her in
Crying, “Lassie, are you comfortable?”
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
I slept in the house till the break of day
And in the morning early
I slept in the house till the break of day
And in the morning early
I got up and put on my shoes
Crying: “Lassie, I must leave you!”
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
“And when till you return again
Or when till we get married?”
“And when till you return again
Or when till we get married?”
“When cockle shells make silver bells
That’s the time we’ll marry”
With me roo-rum-re. Fal-the-diddle-ra
Star-vee-upple, al-the-di-dee, do
Lyrics Sung by Sarah Makem, 1952
As I roved out on a May morning
On a May morning right early
I met my love upon the way
Oh, Lord but she was early.
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
Her boots were black and her stockings white
Her buckles shone like silver
She had a dark and a rollin’ eye
And her ear-rings tipped her shoulder.
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
An extended version was published in 1962 in the book The Irish Songbook containing songs collected by The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem-
As I roved out on a May morning
On a May morning right early
I met my love upon the way
Oh, Lord, but she was early
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee,
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
Her boots were black and her stockings white
And her buckles shone like silver
She had a dark and a rolling eye
And her earrings tipped her shoulders
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee,
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
“What age are you my bonny wee lass
What age are you my honey?”
Right modestly she answered me
“I’ll be seventeen on Sunday”
And she sang lilt-da-doo-dle, lilt-a-doo-dle, lilt-a-doo-dle-dee
And she hi-da-land-da-dee, And she hi-da-land-da-dee, and she lan-dae
“Where do you live my bonny wee lass
Where do you live my honey?”
“In a wee house up on the top of the hill
And I live there with my mammy”
And she hi-da-land-da-dee, And she hi-da-land-da-dee, and she lan-dae
I went to the house on the top of the hill
When the moon was shining clearly
She arose to let me in
For her mammy chanced to hear her
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee,
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
She caught her by the hair of the head
And down to the room she brought her
And with the root of a hazel twig
She was the well-beat daughter
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee,
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
“Will you marry me now, my soldier lad?
Marry me now or never?
Will you marry me now, my soldier lad?
For you see I’m done forever”
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee,
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
“No, I won’t marry you, my bonny wee girl
I won’t marry you, my honey
For I have got a wife at home
And how could I disown her?”
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee,
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
A pint a night is my delight
And a gallon in the morning
the old women are my heartbreak
But the young ones is my darling
And she sang lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle, lilt-a-doodle-dee,
And she hi-di-lan-di-dee, and she hi-di-lan-di-dee and she lan-day
Tommy Clancy later adapted a popular ending stanza from “Seventeen Come Sunday” to end off this version of the song:
A pint at night is my delight
And a gallon in the morning
The old women are my heart break
But the young ones is my darling
Lyrics - Maid and Soldier
From a broadside published 1817-1828 (Harding B 25[1185]). The original publication uses the ſ, or a long s, which is an old variant of the lower case s that fell out of favor by the mid-19th century. While there were specific rules for using a long s, it can always be replaced by a modern-day s. And thus, I have done so here.
As I did walk along the street
I was my father’s darling
A pretty maid, I there did meet
Just as the sun was rising
With my row de dow
Her shoes were black, her stockings white
The buckles were of silver
She had a black and rolling eye
Her hair hung down her shoulders
With my row de dow
Where are you going, my pretty maid
Where are you going, my honey?
She answer’d me right cheerfully
On an errand for my mammy
With my row de dow
How old are you, my pretty maid
How old are you, my honey
She answer’d me right cheerfully
I’m fifteen come Sunday
With my row de dow
Will you marry me, my pretty maid
Will you marry me, my honey?
With all my heart, kind sir, she said
But dare not for my mammy
With my row de dow
Come you but to my mammy’s house
When the moon shines bright and clearly
I will rife and let you in,
My mammy shall not hear me
With my row de dow
I have a wife that is my own
And how can I disdain her?
And every town that I go thro’
A girl if I can find her
With my row de dow
I’ll go to bed quite late last night
Rise early in the morning
The bugle horn is my delight
And the oboy [oboe, sic] is my darling
With my row de dow
Of sketches, I have got enough
And money in my pocket
And what care I for any ones
It’s of the girls I’ve got it
With my row de dow
Featured On:
Me Grief and Tears to Smother
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About the Song:
Unlike many of the songs here, the origin of “As I Roved Out” is less than straightforward. The ballad is actually a composite of two very old Scottish ballads, “Seventeen Come Sunday” and “The Trooper and the Maid.” The first recorded version of this arrangement was made by the British Broadcasting Corp. from the singing of Seamus Ennis under the title “When Cockle Shells Make Silver Bells” on August 30th, 1947 (AFS 09961 A).
“Seventeen” has publications dating back to the mid-1700s with the title “The Waukrife Minnie”, starting with Thomas Lyle’s Ancient Ballads and Songs. While this book was published in 1827, Lyle cites the lyrics as being collected c. 1750. In a similarly titled book published only one year later, Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland by Peter Buchan contains the earliest known publication of “Trooper”, titled here as “The Trooper and Fair Maid”. However, based on the book titles and other publications of both of these ballads throughout the 1800s, The song certainly existed long before these earliest extant publications.
There has been cross-pollination between “Seventeen” and “Trooper” since the mid-1800s. In early versions of “Waukrife Minnie”, there is no mention of the maid’s lover being a soldier. This changes with a broadside published by T. Batchelar in London c. 1820 titled “Maid and Soldier”. While many verses from “Trooper” found its way into publications of “Seventeen” over the years, the “Soldier will you marry me” verse became a staple that would be found in almost all subsequent publications of the song.
The lyrics most associated with “Roved” nowadays come from the 1963 Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem album The Boys Won’t Leave the Girls Alone. They learned the song from Tommy’s mother, Sarah Makem. Jean Ritchie recorded Sarah singing this song in November of 1952. Sarah ending the first verse with “Oh, Lord but she was early” is a corruption replacing the earlier Scots “saucy” with “early”.
I learned this song from the High Kings’ 2010 album Memory Lane.
Parent songs: Seventeen Come Sunday, The Trooper and the Maid
Other titles: When Cockle Shells Make Silver Bells, The Night Visit, Seventeen/Sixteen Come Sunday
Descendant songs: I Love My Love (Owre Yon High, High Hill), Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss, How Old Are You