“An Old Man Came Over the Moor (Old Gum Boots and Leggings)”

Description

The singer's mother tells her to open the door to an old man. He is come to court her; she will not have him; he is too old. The girl's mother makes her to offer him various attentions; she does, and the old man spoils each. (At last he is sent home)

Supplemental text

Old Man Came Over the Moor, An (Old Gum Boots and Leggings)
  Complete text(s)

          *** A ***

Old Taffyham

From Mary O. Eddy, Ballads and Songs from Ohio, #42, p. 132, Text A.
From Joseph Jennings, Loudonville, Ohio.

1. A little old man came over the sea,
     Hey, hi, old Taffy ham,
   He came, he came a-courting me,
     And his old gray beard needed shaving.

2. My mammy she told me to open the door; etc.
   I opened the door, and he bowed to the floor, etc.

3. My mammy she told me to hang up his hat;
   I hung up his hat, and he looked like a rat.

4. My mammy she told me to hang up his coat;
   I hung up his coat, and he looked like a goat.

5. My mammy she told me to set him a chair;
   I set him a chair, and he did nothing but stare.

6. My mammy she told me to get him a stool;
   I got him a stool, and he looked like a fool.

7. My mammy she told me to get him a pie;
   I got him a pie, and he winked his eye.

8. My mammy she told me to get him a knife;
   I got him a knife, and he called me his wife.

9. My mammy she told me to light him to bed;
   I lit him to bed, and he asked me to wed.

or

   My mammy she told me to light him to bed;
   I lit him to bed, and he kicked the clothes over his head.

          *** B ***

Variations in the text of this song are myriad but inconsequential
(all involve performing some service for the visitor, which causes
him to seem even less appealing than before). Variations in the
chorus lines are, however, myriad:

Ah ha, but I wouldn't have him,
With his old shoes and leggings.
   (Cazden et al)

Heigh-O, but I won't have him!
Heigh-O, but I won't have him!
   (Cox)

Hey, hi, old Taffy ham,
And his old gray beard needed shaving.
   (Eddy A)

Ah ha, but I won't have him,
With his old boots and leggins.
   (Eddy B)

Oh, but I won't have him,
With his old gray beard a hanging.
   (Eddy C)

Um ha, I won't have him,
With his old gray beard just newly shaven.
   (Eddy D)

Ho ho ho but I won't have him,
With his long beard so newly shaven.
   (Fowke/Johnston)

Ha, ha, but I would nae hae him,
Wi' his grey beard newly shaven.
   (Kennedy)

An' I won't have him,
An' his old gray beard kept a-shakin'.
   (Randolph A)

But oh, I wouldn't have him,
Shoes, boots an' leggins.
   (Randolph B)

I hope that I won't have him,
With his old gray beard a-shinin'.
   (Randolph C)

Oh, the girls wouldn't have him,
With his old gum boots and his leggings.
   (Assorted recordings; cf. Older)

Eh, but I'll not have him,
With his old grey beard just newly shaven.
   (Vaughn Williams/Lloyd)

Cross references

• cf. "Maids When You're Young Never Wed an Old Man"
• cf. "I Wouldn't Have an Old Man"
• cf. "The Brisk Young Lad" (plot)

Recordings

• Frankie Armstrong, "The Old Man from Over the Sea" (on BirdBush1, BirdBush2)
• Burnett Bros., "Old Shoes a-Draggin'" (Victor 23727, 1932)
• [The Stoneman Family and] Uncle Eck Dunford, "Old Shoes and Leggins" (Victor V-40060, 1928; on AAFM1)
• Betty Garland, "Old Gum Boots and Leggings" (on BGarland01)
• Otis High, "Old Gray Beard A-Flappin'" (on HandMeDown2)
• Lawrence Older, "Old Shoes and Leggings" (on LOlder01)
• Jeannie Robertson, "Old Grey Beard Newly Shaven" (on FSB1)

References

1. Belden, p. 264, "The Old Man's Courtship" (1 text)
2. Randolph 66, "The Old Black Booger" (3 texts, 3 tunes)
3. Randolph/Cohen, pp. 129-131, "The Old Black Booger" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 66C)
4. Eddy 42, "An Old Man Who Came Over the Moor" (3 texts plus a fragment, 4 tunes)
5. Gardner/Chickering 171, "The Old Man" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
6. BrownIII 9, "The Old Man's Courtship" (5 texts)
7. Brewster 48, "The Old Man Who Vame Over the Moor" (2 texts)
8. Ford-Vagabond, pp. 128-129, "The Carle He Cam' Ower the Craft"; p. 130, "The Dottered Auld Carle" (2 texts)
9. Fowke/Johnston, pp. 152-154, "The Old Man" (1 text, 1 tune)
10. Warner 165, "Old Grey Beard" (1 text, 1 tune)
11. MHenry-Appalachians, pp. 9-10, "There Was an Old Man" (1 text)
12. FSCatskills 131, "Old Shoes and Leggings" (1 text)
13. JHCox 169, "The Old Man Who Came Over the Moor" (1 text)
14. SharpAp 108, "My Mother Bid Me" (5 texts, 5 tunes)
15. Ritchie-Southern, p. 87, "Mama Told Me" (1 text, 1 tune)
16. Creighton/Senior, pp. 190-191, "The Old Man" (1 text, 1 tune)
17. Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, pp. 76-77, "The Old Man from Lee" (1 text, 1 tune)
18. Kennedy 139, "Old Grey Beard" (1 text, 1 tune)
19. DT, OLDSHOE*
20. ST R066 (Full)
21. Roud #362
22. BI, R066