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I'm very sorry, gentlemen, you called on me for to sing,
For I can well assure you that I can do no such a thing;
But since you have all called on me I'll try what I can do,
But when I come to the chorus I hope you'll join me, too;
Oh, I'll hope you'll join me, too.
I fell courting a jolly old cook, and I'll tell you the reason why,
For when that I was hungry my wants she would supply;
For when that I was hungry my wants she would relieve,
She fed me on the best of pies, likewise fresh mutton and beef;
Oh, likewise fresh mutton and beef.
She invited me to a supper which I quickly give consent,
But to my sad misfortune to her master's house I went;
Supper being all over and I not very well pleased,
One pocket she crammed with butter,
And the other she crammed with cheese;
Oh, the other she crammed with cheese.
Supper being all over and I could eat no more,
But to my sad misfortune the old man he knocked at the door;
Where to go and bide myself I'm sure I did not know,
And up in the chimney I did get as black as any crow;
Oh, black as any crow.
The fire, it came very hot, commenced to scorch my knees,
Likewise it melted the butter and so neatly toasted my cheese;
The old man he was standing by, he saw something good was there,
For every drop dropped in the fire it caused the fire to flare;
Oh, it caused the fire to flare.
Out on the street I did get my shamed face for to show,
My butter it was all melted and I was black as a crow;
Oh, the dogs did bark and children alarmed,
Old women went to the door to see,
And there they stepped a-calling out, "There goes butter and cheese;
Oh, there goes butter and cheese!"
This variant was collected from Alexander March [1865-1953] of Port au Port, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
Another variant was collected in 1959 from Mrs. Clara Stevens of Bellburns, NL, by Kenneth Peacock and also published as Butter And Cheese in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, p.251, by The National Museum Of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
