“Poor Widow”

Description

Singing game: "Here's a poor widow, she (lives/lies) her lone... She wants a man and cannae get none." The widow or her daughter go seek a husband, "She may go round and choose her own"; the courting may or may not be successful

Supplemental text

Poor Widow
  Complete text(s)

          *** A ***

From Alice B. Gomme, The Traditional Games of England, Scotland,
and Ireland, Volume II, p. 63, text III. From Nairn.

There was a poor widow left alone,
And all her children dead and gone.
Come, choose you east,
Come, choose you west,
Take the man you love best.
Now they're married, I wish them joy,
Every year a girl or boy,
I hope this couple may kiss each other.

          *** B ***

Here's a Poor Widow

From Henry, Huntington, Herrmann, Sam Henry's Songs of the People, p. 11.
Henry #48d, printed Oct. 11, 1924. No source listed.

Here's a poor widow, she lies her lone,
She lies her lone, she lies her lone,
Here's a poor widow, she lies her lone,
She wants a man and canny get none.

She may go round and choose her own,
And choose her own, and choose her own,
She may go round and choose her own,
And choose a good one or else choose none.

References

1. SHenry H48f, p. 11, "Here's a Poor Widow" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. ST HHH048f (Full)
3. Roud #5105
4. BI, HHH048f