Get Up and Bar the Door

Child #275

I first read a version of this ballad as part of my high school English Lit course. The song version I know (again from the John Jacob Niles Ballad Book) is much abbreviated and makes the most sense if you actually have access the the poem. There are links to three versions of it at the bottom of the page.

With a heigh-ho for the dun-ner-ry do
The wind blew in the door-o
With a heigh-ho for the dun-ner-ry do
The wind blew on the floor-o

The goodman to the goodwife said,
"Old woman, shut the door-o."
With a heigh-ho for the dun-ner-ry do
"Go shut the door yourself-o"

They made a paction 'tween them twa
The first to speak a word-o
With a heigh-ho for the dun-ner-ry do
Would rise to shut the door-o

The travellers whooped, the travellers howled
The travellers drank his ale-o
With a heigh-ho for the dun-ner-ry do
They ate her puddin's too-o

The goodman leapt from out his bed
"Ye scald me beard with brew-o!"
With a heigh-ho for the dun-ner-ry do
"Ye cannot kiss me Jane-o!"

The goodwife danced upon the floor
The goodman he was angry-o
With a heigh-ho for the dun-ner-ry do
'Twas he he shut the door-o

The Digital Tradition Database returned three versions of this ballad, none of which are this version. One is the version I first learned in high school...now I can learn the tune as well. You can also look and listen to two and three and pick the one that pleases you best.

Last updated 06/10/99
Email me: sca_bard@yahoo.com