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Miss Bess were as ’ansum as ever you’d see,
But her were as haughty as haughty cude be.
For buty there wad’n a maid to compare
But her always did walk with her nose in the air.
Whack fal de dal, dil de dal, dal de dal day
Her was jist like the quane that you sees in the play
Whack fal de dal dil de dal dee.
Whenever I met with Miss Bess in the rawd
I was jis like I’d rinned until properly blawed,
For my breath was all took an’ my heart he wude beat
Till you’d hear it across tother side o’ the street.
Whack fal de dal-day
When I tried for to speak I had nothing to say,
Whack fal de dal dee.
When her eyes looked to mine I went all cold and hot,
Like a leaf I would shake if bezide me her zot,
I’d swat down in strames at the titch of her glove,
So I reckoned fer certin I must be in love.
Whack fal de dal day
It was hard work to me what to some folks is play
Whack fal de dal dee.
But I got wiss and wiss till I veeled that I must
Spaik out what was in me to Bessie or bust,
So I screwed myself up to the very top pitch,
When I started I couldn’t tell tother from which.
Whack fal de dal day
I’d sooner have mown a whole meadow of hay
Whack fal de dal dee.
Miss Bessie her laafed when I axed her to wed,
“I must marry a strapping fine fellow ” her said,
So off I did go for a soldier so fine,
Till I growed zix foot high and weighed nine score nine.
Whack fal de dal day
Then I came back to Bessie to see what her’d say
Whack fal de dal dee.
Says I, “Now Miss Bess, I be strapping and fine,”
But she said “I must have silks and satins and wine,
I must ride in a carriage whenever I please,
The man that I marry must give me all these.”
Whack fal de dal day
So I went off again without any delay
Whack fal de dal dee.
I journeyed away to the gurt London town, I did’n see sov’rins strawed over the groun’ But I worked and I toiled till at last I cude show A nice little fortin--then home I did go.
Whack fal de dal day
I went back to Bess in five years and a day
Whack fal de dal dee.
“Now Bessie my dear I be strapping and fine,
I can give ’ee silk dresses an’ hosses an’ wine,”
But her answered me still “You’m not grand enough
quite
For I only will marry a real titled knight.”
Whack fal de dal day
I set out once more an’ no longer did stay
Whack fal de dal dee.
More riches I added unto my gurt store,
And then I gave thousands away to the poor,
The people all said that I wur a gurt man
And the King he sent for me and made me “Zur Jan.”
Whack fal de dal day
Then Bessie her said her wude have me, Ees fai
Whack fal de dal dee.
“Why Bessie,” I says, “I be strapping an’ rich,
I’ve a mansion, an’ sarvants, an’ osses an’ sitch,
My name hath a handle, ‘Zur Jan’ that is me,
And the maid that I weds will ‘Her Ladyship’ be.
Whack fal de dal day
So I be gwain to marry the Squire’s darter May
Whack fal de dal dee.
So all purty maidens this moral should mind,
(Or else like Miss Bessie they’ll be all behind).
If so--be they daun’t want to get left on the shelf
Not to wait for a man better far than theirself.
Whack fal de dal dil de dal fal de dai day
Else p’raps he’ll get somebody better than they
Whack fal de dal, dil de dal, dee.