“The Shoemaker (III)”

Description

"My mother sent me to the school To learn to be a stocking-knitter, But I went wrang and played the fool And married with a shoemaker." She complains of his looks, his tools, his stink, and the miserable life she leads: "Who would have a shoemaker?"

Supplemental text

Shoemaker (III), The
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

The Shoemakker

From Stokoe/Reay, Songs and Ballads of Northern England, pp. 114-115.

My mother sent me to the school
  To learn to be a stocking-knitter,
But I went wrang and played the fool
  And married with a shoemakker.
    Shoemakker, leather cracker,
      With all his stinking, dirty water;
    I wish a thousand deaths I'd died
      Ere I had wed a shoemakker.

(2 additional stanzas)

Notes

In a number of versions of this song, including Stokoe's, the man's occupation is "shoemakker" (double k). This appears to be an attempt to show that the "a" is pronounced short -- he "maks" shoes, rather than "makes" them. - RBW

References

1. Stokoe/Reay, pp. 114-115, "The Shoemakker" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. ST StoR114 (Partial)
3. Roud #3152
4. BI, StoR114