The Barring of the Door
Maddy Prior & June Tabor
from a Silly Sisters Album called, "No More To The Dance"
 


Here is me, singing this. 2.6 MB MP3



It fell about a martimous time
and a gay time it was then, oh
That our good wife had puddings to make
and she boiled them in a pan, oh
 
The wind blew cold, the leaves from North
It blew into through the door, oh
Said our good man to our good wife,
"Get up and bar the door, oh."
 
"Me hand is in me hussy skip (Sewing box)
Good man as ye may see, oh-
If it should be barred this hundred years
it'll not be barred by me, oh."
 
They made a pact between the two
They made it firm and sure, oh
Whoever should speak the very first word
should rise and bar the door, oh
 
Then by and came two gentlemen
at twelve o'clock at night, oh
and they could see that in the house
there was cold nor candle light, oh
 
"Oh, have we here a rich man's house
or have we here a poor, oh?"
But never a word would the old couple speak
for the barring of the door, oh
 
So first they ate the white pudding
and then they ate the black, oh
But near before the good wife herself
But never would she spoke, oh
 
Then one unto the other did say
"Here man, take ye my knife, oh
Do you take up the old man's beard
and I'll kiss his good wife, oh
 
But there's no water in the house
So what shall we do then, oh
What ails ye of the pudding broth
that boils in yonder pan, oh
 
Oh up then started our good man
and an angry man was he, oh
"Well you kissed me wife before me eyes-
Don't scald me with pudding broth, oh
 
Oh up then started our good wife
Give three skips on the floor, oh
"Oh man you have spake the very first word,
Get up and bar the door, oh