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
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in, dress her in?
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in red?
Red’s what the soldiers wear,
The soldiers wear, the soldiers wear,
Red’s what the soldiers wear,
And that won’t do.
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in, dress her in?
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in blue?
Blue’s what the sailors wear,
Sailors wear, sailors wear;
Blue’s what the sailors wear,
And that won’t do.
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in, dress her in?
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in black?
Black’s what the mourners wear,
The mourners wear, the mourners wear;
Black’s what the mourners wear,
And that won’t do.
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in, dress her in?
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in white?
White’s what the dead wear,
The dead wear, the dead wear;
White’s what the dead wear,
And that will do.
—Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler).
XV. Come to see Jinny Jones, Jinny Jones
Come to see Jinny Jones,
And where is she now?
Jinny is washing, is washing,
Jinny is washing,
And you can’t see her now.
Very well, very well, lady, lady,
Very well, lady,
That will do.
[Then follow—
(1) starching,
(2) ironing,
(3) dying,
(4) dead.]
What shall we follow in, follow in?
What shall we follow in?
We’ll follow in blue.
Blue is for sailors, for sailors,
Blue is for sailors,
And that won’t do.
[_or_, You can’t follow her so.]
[Then follow—
Red is for soldiers,
White is for weddings,
Yellow is for babies.]
Black is not deep enough, deep enough,
That won’t do.
What shall we follow in, follow in?
We’ll follow her in crape, crape [pronounced _cray-ape_].
You may follow her in crape, crape,
You may follow her in crape,
That will do.
—Deptford (Miss E. Chase).
XVI. I’ve come to see Georgina, Georgina, Georgina,
I’ve come to see Georgina, how’s she to-day?
She’s upstairs washing, washing, washing,
She’s upstairs washing, and can’t get away.
O very well, ladies, ladies, ladies,
We’ll come another day.
We’ve come to see Georgina, Georgina, Georgina,
We’ve come to see Georgina, how’s she to-day?
She’s upstairs ironing, ironing, ironing,
She’s upstairs ironing, and can’t get away.
[Then the two verses are repeated—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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