“Donnelly”

Description

A tinker meets a woman: coming from the ball and he soldering against the wall; in the wood and his budget stood; in the bar to "have it again"; in the bed and says "We should be wed"; at the door and trips her on the floor. She should go with him.

Notes

Notes to IRClare01: "This has been around since at least 1675 when a fourteen-verse version was entered in the Stationers Register but since then it has been slimmed down somewhat, while still retaining its celebration of bawdry." - BS

This apparently is lumped by Roud with his #863, which includes several Tinker-who-can't-keep-his-mind (or other body parts)-on-the-job songs. But Ben Schwartz and I would separate this from both "The Tinker" and "The Jolly Tinker" by the nature of the wordplay and the fact that the tinker is interested quite specifically in one woman. - RBW

Recordings

  • Mary Delaney, "Donnelly" (on IRTravellers01)
  • Martin Howley, "Donnelly" (on IRClare01)

References

  1. Roud #863
  2. BI, RcDonnel

About

Alternate titles: “The Duchess and the Tinker”; “The Highland Tinker”; “Tim the Tinker”
Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1975 (IRClare01)
Found in: Ireland