Tears For Beers Raggle Taggle Gypsy
There were three gypsies a come to my door, And down stairs ran this a-lady, O. One sang high and another sang low And the other sang bonny bonny Biscay O Then she pulled off her silk finished gown, And put on hose of leather, O The ragged ragged rags about our door And she's gone with the wraggle, taggle gypsies O It was late last night when my lord came home, Inquiring for his a-lady O The servants said on every hand She's gone with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O O saddle to me my milk-white steed And go and fetch me my pony, O That I may ride and seek my bride, Who's gone with the wraggle-taggle gypsies O O he rode high, and he rode low He rode through wood and copses too, Until he came to a wide open field, And there he espied his a-lady O What makes you leave you house and land? What makes you leave you money, O? What makes you leave you new-wedded lord, To follow the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O. What care I for my house and land? What care I for my money,O? What care I for my new-wedded lord, I'm off with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O! "Last night you slept on a goosefeather bed, With the sheet turned down so bravely, O. Tonight you'll sleep in a cold open field, Along with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O." "What care I for a goose-feather bed, With the sheet turned down so bravely, O. For tonight I'll sleet in a cold open field, Along with the wraggle-taggle gypsies, O. info: ===== Dorothy Scarborough in her "Song Catcher from the Southern Mountains" says that in the earliest edition of the ballad, the gypsy is called Johnny Faa, a name common among gypsies. When the gypsies were banished from Scotland in 1624, Johnny Faa disobeyed the decree and was hanged.
