MAID IN THE GARRETT
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Time signature: 2/4
Typical tempo ~260 bpm (very fast) |
Traditional Irish
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Button Accordion Notation
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Beats per bar = 2
Beat symbol = Two dots ( : ) or equivalent Verse 1 of 5: |
Either row: Buttons 4 - 8
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.7 .7* | .6 .5 .4 .4* | :5
Now I've of - ten heard it said /
.4 .4* | .5 .5 .5 .5 | .5* :5
From me fa-ther and me mo - ther, /
.6 | .7* .7* .7* .7 | .7* .6
That go - in' to a wed - din'
.6 .7* | .7 .6 .6 .6 | :5* :5 |
Is the ma - kin' of an - oth - er /
.7 .7 .8* .8 | :8*
Well, if this be true, /
.7 .7* | .6 .6 .7* .7 | .5* .5
Then I'll go with-out a bid - din, /
.4 .4* | :5 ;5 "5* | :5
Oh kind prov - i - dence, /
.4 .4* | .5 .5* .5 .4* | .4 .5
Won't you send me to a wed-din' ? /
Refrain:
.4 .4* | :5 :5* | ::5 | :7 .8* .8 | :8*
And its Oh dear me, / how would it be /
.7 .8* | :8 .7 .6 | :5 .6* .6 | ::7* | ::6~ | ~:
If I die an old maid / in the gar - rett____? /
Now I've of - ten heard it said /
.4 .4* | .5 .5 .5 .5 | .5* :5
From me fa-ther and me mo - ther, /
.6 | .7* .7* .7* .7 | .7* .6
That go - in' to a wed - din'
.6 .7* | .7 .6 .6 .6 | :5* :5 |
Is the ma - kin' of an - oth - er /
.7 .7 .8* .8 | :8*
Well, if this be true, /
.7 .7* | .6 .6 .7* .7 | .5* .5
Then I'll go with-out a bid - din, /
.4 .4* | :5 ;5 "5* | :5
Oh kind prov - i - dence, /
.4 .4* | .5 .5* .5 .4* | .4 .5
Won't you send me to a wed-din' ? /
Refrain:
.4 .4* | :5 :5* | ::5 | :7 .8* .8 | :8*
And its Oh dear me, / how would it be /
.7 .8* | :8 .7 .6 | :5 .6* .6 | ::7* | ::6~ | ~:
If I die an old maid / in the gar - rett____? /
youTube VIDEOS
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Key of G
Tempo ~244 bpm). Performers: Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem |
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Key of G
Tempo ~276 bpm. Performers: Shanneyganock |
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Key of A
Tempo ~275 bpm. Performers: Masterless Men |
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Key of C
Tempo ~244 bpm. Performer: Hector Awol of Australia |
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key of G
Tempo ~300 bpm (very fast) Instrumental: Baccalieu Rovers |
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Key of G
Tempo ~260 bpm Sweeney's Men: Andy Irvine, Johnny Moynihan and Terry Woods play the first Sweeney's single at Andy's birthday bash on 16th June 2012, Vicar Street (Dublin) |
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Key of G
Tempo ~240 bpm Sláinte is a six-piece band (Bert, Denis, Doug, Curt, Greg & Carl) centered in Clarenville. (According to the boys, "sláinte" is a Gaelic greeting, like "cheers".) |
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Key of F
Tempo ~220 bpm This video contains the "Maid in the Garrett" song as well as the reel "Tam Lin". The line-up of Maddy Prior, Gay Woods, Peter Knight, Bob Johnson, Tim Harries and Liam Genockey only released the one studio album together, 'Time' in 1996. This song features both Prior and Woods on lead vocals. |
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BACKGROUND LYRICS, INFO AND LINKS
Lyrics:
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Verse 1
Refrain Verse 2 Verse 3 Verse 4 Verse 5 |
Now I've often heard it said from me father and me mother
That the going tae a wedding is the making of another Well, if this be true, I will go without a biddin O kind providence, won't you take me tae a wedding And its O dear me, how would it be, if I die an old maid in a garret Well, there's my sister Jean, she's not handsome or good looking Scarcely sixteen and a fella she was courting Now at twenty-four with a son and a daughter Here am I at forty-four and I've never had an offer I can cook and I can sew and I can keep the house right tidy Rise up in the morning and get the breakfast ready There's nothing in this whole world would make me half so cheery As a wee fat man to call me his own deary So come landsman or come skinsman, come tinker or come tailor Come fiddler or come dancer, come ploughboy or come sailor Come rich man, come poor man, come wise or come witty Come any man at all that will marry me for pity Well now I'm away home for nobody's heeding Nobody's heeding and nobody's pleading I'll go away to my own bitty garret If I can't get a man, then I'll have to get a parrot |
Translation:
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Garret (as used in this song)- : a (usually) small (and sometimes unpleasant) room or space area just below the roof of a building
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Composition: |
"Old Maid in a Garret is a popular and humorous (though politically incorrect, of course) traditional Irish folk song. Like many traditional folk songs, the original author is not known, but some sources say that the song is a derivative of an English ballad written by Martin Parker, an English pub-owner and balladeer who lived in the early 1600s. At any rate, it's a funny song with a rousing chorus, thus making it popular for pub sing-alongs (often sung by men for an added touch of irony)" ...
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