The Tinker

I am the bravest tinker that lives beneath the sun
If you have any work to do, you shall have it well done
Yes indeed you shall, don't you know you shall
To my right falooral laddie, yes, indeed you shall

The lady came to the door and asked me could I stop
And could I mend a rusty pan that never held a drop
Yes indeed I can, don't you know I can
To my right falooral laddie, yes, indeed I can

She took me up the stairs for to show me what to do
She fell on the featherbed and I fell on it too
Yes indeed I did, don't you know I did
To my right falooral laddie, yes, indeed I did

I put my hammer in her hand that with it she might knock
To make her husband to believe that I was at my work
Yes indeed I was, don't you know I was
To my right falooral laddie, yes, indeed I was

She put her hand into her purse and pulled out twenty pound
Take this me jolly tinker and we'll have another round
Yes indeed we will, don't you know we will
To my right falooral laddie, yes, indeed we will

Oh, I plugged her in the kitchen, I plugged her in the hall
And the servants cried, The Devil, are you going to plug us all
Oh indeed I'm not, don't you know I'm not
To my right falooral laddie, no, indeed I'm not

Well, I've been a jolly tinker these thirty years and more
But such a rusty pan as that I never plugged before
No indeed I didn't, don't you know I didn't
To my right falooral laddie, no, indeed I didn't

from Sedley, Seeds of Love.
collated from 17th and 19th century sources
SOF