WITH  ME  NAVVY  BOOTS  ON

Time signature:  3/4
Traditional
UNDER  CONSTRUCTION:  Everything needs to be checked.
​
Button Accordion  Notation
​Beats per bar = 3
Beat symbol  =  Dot ( . ) or equivalent
Either row (high) = Buttons  5 to9*
Inside row  (low) =  Buttons 2 to 5* plus o3*
Verse 1 (of several)

"6  "7*   |   .7   .7*   .7   |   .6   .5*      "5*    "5   |    "5*   ;6   .7*  |   :6      
"3  "3*   |   .4   .3*   .4   |   .3  .o3*   "o3*   "2    |  "o3*   ;3   .3*  |   :3
Oh   I        am  an  old     nav-vy     and     I       work  on  the    line

 "6    "6   |   .6      .7     .8   |    .8        ;7     "8   |  "9*   ;7    .6    |   :7*   
 "3    "3   |   .3      .4     .5   |    .5        ;4     "5   |  "5*   ;4    .3    |   :3*
And  the   last  place   I     worked was New - cas - tle   on    Tyne

  "6   "6   |   .6   .7    .8    |   .9*  ;8   "9*   |   "8     ;7     .6   |   :7* 
  "3   "3   |   .3   .4    .5    |   .5*  ;5   "5*   |   "5     ;4     .3   |   :3*  
Well, I'll     tell  me  mis - for-tune  it      happ-en'd   in      fun

"6   "7*   |    .7    .7*  "7  "7*  |     .6     .5*   .5   |    .5*    ;6    "7*    |    :6  
"3   "3*   |    .4    .3*  "4  "3*  |     .3    .o3*  .2   |   .o3*   ;3    "3*    |    :3
Oh,  it      happ-en'd   one       night  I'd   me     nav - vy  boots     on
​
Embedded youTube VIDEOS
Total of 10 videos in various keys:   A=1   B=1    C=2    Db=1    D=1    Eb=1    E=1    G=2
These videos use basically the same melody, but there are differences in lyrics, rhythm and/or tempo.
Key:  C

Group:  The Dubliners  (original)

Posted by: The Dubliners

​
Key:  B

Singer:  Seamus Moore

Posted by:  Patrick Mcdonagh
Key:   Db

Singer:  Liam Clancy

Posted by:  Liam Clancy - Topic
Key:   Eb

Singer:  Thomas Doran
​
Posted by:  Patrick Mcdonagh
Key:   A

Singer:  Anthony (Tony)  Archibald

​Posted by:  threelegsoman

Played in G, with capo at 2, to sound in A
Key:   D

Group:  The Clancy Brothers

​Posted by:  The Clancy Brothers - Topic

​
Key:  E

Group:  The Wild Folk

​Posted by:  thewildfolk
Key:   G

Singer:  ?

Posted by:  Shamoozey

Great singing, but not a good match to the accordion notation above.  I kept it because it was the only video I found in the key of G.
Key:   C

Group:  The Islanders

Posted by:  The Islanders
Key:   G

Group:  The Spinners (from England)

Posted by:  English Folk

These lyrics may be somewhat older than the those featured in the previous videos.
​
Background Lyrics, Information & Links
​Lyrics:

One of
many
​versions
on
the
same
​theme
Oh, I am an old navvy and I work on the line
And the last place I worked was Newcastle-on-Tyne
Well, I'll tell me misfortune it happened in fun
Oh, it happened one night I'd me navvy boots on

One night after supper I shaved off me beard
For to meet me fair Ellen I was well prepared
For to meet me fair Ellen I then hurried down
And I met her that night with me navvy boots on

I knocked on her window, my knock it was low
I knocked on her window, my knock she did know
She jumped out of bed saying: Is that you John?
Ah, bejaybers it's me with me navvy boots on

She came to the door and invited me in
Saying: draw to the fire, love, and warm your skin
Well the bedroom was open and the blankets rolled down
So I jumped into bed with me navvy boots on

And all of that night now we sported and played
Never thinking of time as it soon passed away
Then she jumped out of bed crying: What have I done?
Ah, the baby will be born with his navvy boots on

I chastised me loved one for talking so wild
Ah, you foolish young girl, you'll never have a child
Ah, for all that I've done now twas only in fun
Ah, but I ran like hell with me navvy boots on

And very soon after I was summoned to court
To pay for me sins just like any man ought
I pay ten bob a week now for all of my fun
Ah, that I had that night with me navvy boots on
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Background
and
Links:
I'm not sure when, where, or by whom this song was written.  However, the song is about a manual labourer (a "navvy") in North-East England, perhaps in the nineteenth century.  At one point, about 30% of the Navvys in England came from Ireland, and some versions of the song show this Irish connection.

The first recording I could find, by The Spinners (an English folk group), is from the mid-sixties.   It is possible (though by no means certain) that their lyrics were written by the Group's Hugie Jones, who wrote a number of songs that sounded like traditional English folk songs (Source: wikipedia)

What makes this song humorous?  Well, these sturdy boots were very important to these labourers; hence the term "navvy boots".  It is said that they wore them everywhere, even to bed (joke), and wouldn't take them off for fear of their being lost or stolen.  

These men stereotypically had reputations for being tough, for being womanizers, for being fun-loving, and for often being less than honourable.  The song reflects this stereotype.

The song has also been adapted to other labourers, such as miners' "pit" boots and fishermen's "rubber" boots, and to other clothing, such as blacksmiths' leather "aprons" and dancers' "billycocks" (a type of bowler hat, popular with certain dancers long ago)  

The folksong With Their Rubber Boots On is a Newfoundland & Labrador fisherman version of this song, using a somewhat similar tune, and with slightly different lyrics (attributed by some to Fred Northcotte of Coppett & Ramea).  It was popularized in the 1980's by Dick Nolan and by Harry Hibbs.