THE JOLLY TAR AND THE MILKMAID
From the film "Damsel In Distress" (1937)
(George & Ira Gershwin)

Fred Astaire, Jan Duggan, Mary Dean, Betty Rone,
Jack George, Pearl Amatore & Chorus (Film Soundtrack) - 1937


There was a jolly British tar
Who met a milkmaid bonny
He said, "How beautiful you are"
With a hey and a nonny
With a hey and a nonny

"Such golden hair I ne'er did see
With lips to shame the cherry
Oh, buxom milkmaid marry me!"
With a down-a-derry
With a down-a-down-a-derry

"Our hearts could rhyme," said she
"'Tis flattered I'm," said she
"But oh, ah me, you see, you see
You see, you see, I happen to be
I happen to be the mother of three
A wife already and mother of three
Of three, of three, of three, of three, of three
The mother of three!"

The jolly tar he laughed a laugh
"'Tis for the best, my bonny
That you won't be my better half"
With a hey and a nonny
With a hey and a nonny

"I near forgot on seeing you
That I've a wife in Kerry
In Spain and also Timbuktu"
With a down-a-derry
With a down-a-down-a-derry

"You've got me thinking twice
Goodbye to shoes and rice
For oh, ah me, just now you see
Just now you see I happen to be
I happen to be the husband of three
A-spliced already and husband of three
Of three, of three, of three, of three, of three
The husband of three!"