The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
History
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
I. I’m come to court Janet jo,
Janet jo, Janet jo,
I’m come to court Janet jo,
How’s she the day?
She’s up the stair washin’,
Washin’, washin’,
She’s up the stair washin’,
Ye canna see her the day.
[Then follow verses, the words of which are not given by Chambers,
representing Jenny as bleaching, drying, and ironing clothes. At last
they say—]
Janet jo’s dead and gane,
Dead and gane, dead and gane;
Janet jo’s dead and gane,
She’ll never come hame!
—Chambers’ _Popular Rhymes_, pp. 140-41.
II. I’m come to court Janet jo, Janet jo, Janet jo,
Come to court Janet jo,
How is she the day?
She’s butt the house washing, washing, washing
She’s butt the house washing,
You can’t see her to-day.
Fare ye well, ladies, ladies, ladies,
Fare ye well, ladies,
For I must away.
—West Scotland (_Folk-lore Record_, iv. 474).
III. We’ve come to court Jinny jo,
Jinny jo, Jinny jo,
We’ve come to court Jinny jo,
Is she within?
Jinny jo’s washing clothes,
Washing clothes, washing clothes,
Jinny jo’s washing clothes,
You can’t see her to-day.
So fare ye well, ladies,
O ladies, O ladies,
So fare ye well, ladies
And gentlemen too.
[These verses are repeated for—
(1) drying clothes,
(2) starching,
(3) ironing,
(4) ill,
(5) dying.
Then—]
Jinny jo’s lying dead,
Lying dead, lying dead,
Jinny jo’s lying dead,
You can’t see her to-day.
So turn again, ladies,
Ladies, ladies, ladies,
So turn again, ladies,
And gentlemen too.
What shall we dress her in?
Dress her in, dress her in?
What shall we dress her in?
Shall it be red?
Red’s for the soldiers,
The soldiers, the soldiers,
Red’s for the soldiers,
And that will not do.
[Various other colours are suggested in the same way, but are found
unsuitable—black because “black’s for the mourners,” green because
“green’s for the croppies,” and so on till at last white is named.]
White’s for the dead people,
Dead people, the dead people,
White’s for the dead people,
And that will just do.
—Belfast (_Notes and Queries_, 7th series, xii. 492, W. H. Patterson).
IV. I came to see Jenny jo, Jenny jo, Jenny jo,
I came to see Jenny jo, is she within?
Jenny jo’s washing clothes, washing clothes, washing clothes,
Jenny jo’s washing clothes, and ye can’t see her to-day.
Oh but I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,
Oh but I’m sorry, I can’t see her to-day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account