Madam, I Have Come to Court Ye- S.C (MA) 1908
[My date; published with music in the article "Irish Folk-Song" by Phillips Barry in Journal of American Folklore, Volume 24, page 342. His notes follow. Barry's Irish version has the Wheel of Fortune identifying stanza as the last stanza but it's actually a second chorus.
Cf. Burl Ives version from an Irishman in NYC.
R. Matteson 2017]
To Irish folk-singers, at least in the Northern States, we owe the presence of a large part of the folk-song current in this country. ... Yet very few Irish songs have become Americanized, — due doubtless to the exile's love of his native country. Two, however, are notable exceptions. Of these, one [is] a song of the camp, entitled "The Unfortunate Rake". . . . The other song is as follows:
"Madam, I Have come to Court Ye" sung by S. C. of Boston, Mass., a native of County Tyrone, Ireland.
1. "Madam, I have come to court ye,
If your favor I could gain.
If you highly entertain me,
I will surely call again.
CHORUS: With my 20, 18, 16, 14,
12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1,
With my 19, 17, 15, 13,
11, 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1.
2. "Madam, I have gold and silver.
Madam, I have house and land.
Madam, I have worldly treasures,
. . . . . . . . . . ."
3. "What care I for your gold and silver?
What care I for your house or land?
What care I for your ships on the ocean?
All I want's a nice young man."
4. "Round about the wheel of fortune,
It goes round and wearies me.
Young men's ways are so uncertain,
Sad experience teaches me!"