Shaker Song- Laura Britton (VT) 1945 Flanders A
[From D41A - archival cassette dub. This is a digitized archival cassette in the Helen Hartness Flanders Ballad Collection at Middlebury College Special Collections & Archives, see also Track 13, where she sing a version of "Madam" titled, "Daddy Addy Doodum," a voice performance by Laura Britton at Putney (Vt.) also dated 01-08-1945.
R. Matteson 2017]
Track 15: Shaker Song - voice performance by Laura Britton at Putney (Vt.). Dated 01-08-1945.
1. He) Madam I have come a-courting[1]
Oh heaven's and oh dear me
It is for pleasure not for sporting
Oh heaven's and oh dear me.
2. She) If a-courting is your desire,
Fal-da rictum do-da-yah
You may sit and court the fire,
Fal- da rictum do-da-yah.
3. He) Madam, I have rings of silver
Oh heavens and oh dear me,
To adorn you your lily white
Oh heaven's and oh dear me.
4. She) What care I for rings of silver?
Fal-da rictum do-da-yah
Or how they look on lady's fingers?
Fal-da rictum do-da-yah
5. He) Madam I have land and money,
Oh heavens and oh dear me,
If you'll be mine you'll want for nary,
Oh heavens and oh dear me.
6. She) What care I for land and money?
Fal-da rictum do-da-yah
But give me a man that'll call me honey,
Fal-da rictum do-da-yah.
7. Madam, thou art tall and slender,
Oh heavens and oh dear me,
Beautiful in every feature,
Oh heaven's how neat you'll be.
8. She) That's just like some Quaker's action,
Fal-da rictum do-da-yah
It's enough to draw distraction,
Fal-da rictum do-da-yah.
9. He) Oh the grief I now lay under,
Oh heavens and oh dear me,
It's enough to break my heart asunder,
Oh heavens and oh dear me.
10). She) If it breaks so what it breaks,
So fal-da rictum do-da-yah
Loss of one will gain another,
Fal-da rictum do-da-yah.
1. The stanzas sung by the Quaker are sung slowly while the stanzas sung by the maid are sung quickly.