The Sandgate Dandling Song

Album: Sorrows Away (1800)
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  • Hold thy way my bonny bairn
    Hold thy way up on my arm
    Hold thy way thou soon may learn
    To say Dada so canny
    I wish thy daddy may be well
    He's long in coming from the keel
    Though his black face be like the deil
    I like a kiss from Johnny

    Thou really has thy daddy's chin
    Thou art like him leg and wing
    And I with pleasure can thee sing
    Since thou belongs my Johnny
    Johnny is a clever lad
    Last night he fuddled all he had
    This morn he wasn't very bad
    He looked as blithe as any

    Though thou's the first thou's not the last
    I mean to have my bairns fast
    And when this happy time is past
    I still will love my Johnny
    For his hair's brown and so is thine
    Thine eyes are grey and so are mine
    Thy nose is tapered off so fine
    Thou's like thy daddy Johnny

    Thy canny down is fat and round
    And like thy dad thou's plump and sound
    Thou's worth to me a thousand pound
    Thou's altogether bonny
    When daddy's drunk he'll take his knife
    And threaten sore to take my life
    Who wouldn't be a keelman's wife
    To have a man like Johnny

    But yonder's daddy coming now
    He looks the best among the crew
    They're all going to the Barley Mow
    To have a glass with Johnny
    So let's go get the bacon fried
    And let us make a clean fireside
    Then on his knee he will thee ride
    When he comes home to mammy Lyrics from a song in Public Domain

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