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Roud Folk Song Index #2173
Martinmas is one of the four Old Scottish Term Days which correspond roughly to the ancient Celtic holidays, Martinmas was the feast of Saint Martin of Tours, a 4th century bishop and hermit. The old date of November 11, marked the time of year that the last harvest was brought in, and livestock slaughtered. People would celebrate the day with a grand feast, the last good meal for some time as Martinmas marked the beginning of a fast (the period of fasting would later become Advent).
Martinmas is one of the four Old Scottish Term Days which correspond roughly to the ancient Celtic holidays, Martinmas was the feast of Saint Martin of Tours, a 4th century bishop and hermit. The old date of November 11, marked the time of year that the last harvest was brought in, and livestock slaughtered. People would celebrate the day with a grand feast, the last good meal for some time as Martinmas marked the beginning of a fast (the period of fasting would later become Advent).
Martinmas Time
by trad
[Acapella]
[C] It fell [F] out upon one [C] Martinmas [G] time
When [C] snow lay [F] on the [C] bor- [G] der
There [C] came a [F] troop of [C] soldiers [G] here
To [C] take up their winter [G] quarters
Break (verse instrum)
And they rode east and they rode west
And they rode o'er the border
And there they met with a nice little girl
And she was a farmer's daughter.
Break II (verse instrum first line only)
And they made her sware a solemn oath
With a salt tear in her eye-o
That she would come to the quarter gates
When no one did her spy-o
Break II
And she's gone to the barber's shop
To the barber's shop went soon-o
And she made them cut her long yellow hair
As short as any dragoon-o
( Chorus:
With me [C] right fol adle edle [G] idle a-dee-o
With me [C] right fol adle edle [G] eyrie )
And she's gone to the tailor's shop
And dresses in soldiers clothes-o
A pair of pistols down by her side
And a nice little boy was she-o
Chorus
And she's gone to the quarter gates
And loudly she does call-o
There comes a troop of soldiers here
And we must have lodgings all-o
Chorus
And the quartermaster he comes down
And he gives her half a crown-o
Go find your lodgings in the town
for tonight there is no room-o
Chorus
Break III (verse length)
But she's moved nearer to the gates
And louder she does call-o
O! Room, room, you gentlemen,
We must have lodgings all-o
Chorus
And the quartermaster he comes down
And he gives her Eighteen pence-o
"Go find your lodgings in the town
For tonight there comes a wench-o!"
Chorus
O she took a whistle from her side
And she blew it loud and shrill-O
"You're all very free with your eighteen pence
But you're not for a girl at all-o"
Chorus
And she took the garters from her knees
And the ribbons from her hair-o
She's tied them around the quarter gates
As a token she's been there-o
Chorus
[Acapella]
And when they found that it was her
They tried to have her taken
But she's clapped her spurs to her horses side
And she's galloped home a maiden.
Into "The Little Stack of Wheat"
[C] It fell [F] out upon one [C] Martinmas [G] time
When [C] snow lay [F] on the [C] bor- [G] der
There [C] came a [F] troop of [C] soldiers [G] here
To [C] take up their winter [G] quarters
Break (verse instrum)
And they rode east and they rode west
And they rode o'er the border
And there they met with a nice little girl
And she was a farmer's daughter.
Break II (verse instrum first line only)
And they made her sware a solemn oath
With a salt tear in her eye-o
That she would come to the quarter gates
When no one did her spy-o
Break II
And she's gone to the barber's shop
To the barber's shop went soon-o
And she made them cut her long yellow hair
As short as any dragoon-o
( Chorus:
With me [C] right fol adle edle [G] idle a-dee-o
With me [C] right fol adle edle [G] eyrie )
And she's gone to the tailor's shop
And dresses in soldiers clothes-o
A pair of pistols down by her side
And a nice little boy was she-o
Chorus
And she's gone to the quarter gates
And loudly she does call-o
There comes a troop of soldiers here
And we must have lodgings all-o
Chorus
And the quartermaster he comes down
And he gives her half a crown-o
Go find your lodgings in the town
for tonight there is no room-o
Chorus
Break III (verse length)
But she's moved nearer to the gates
And louder she does call-o
O! Room, room, you gentlemen,
We must have lodgings all-o
Chorus
And the quartermaster he comes down
And he gives her Eighteen pence-o
"Go find your lodgings in the town
For tonight there comes a wench-o!"
Chorus
O she took a whistle from her side
And she blew it loud and shrill-O
"You're all very free with your eighteen pence
But you're not for a girl at all-o"
Chorus
And she took the garters from her knees
And the ribbons from her hair-o
She's tied them around the quarter gates
As a token she's been there-o
Chorus
[Acapella]
And when they found that it was her
They tried to have her taken
But she's clapped her spurs to her horses side
And she's galloped home a maiden.
Into "The Little Stack of Wheat"