The Jolly Tar and the Milkmaid

From the RKO Picture "Damsel In Distress"
Music by George Gershwin; Lyric by Ira Gershwin
© 1937 (Renewed) George Gershwin Music and Ira Gershwin Music.
Performed by Fred Astaire and Female Chorus

There was a jolly British tar
Who met a milkmaid bonny.
He said, "How beautiful you are,"
With a hey and a nonny,
With a hey and a nonny.
"Such golden hair I ne'er did see,
With lips to shame the cherry-
Oh, buxom milkmaid marry me!"
With a down-a-derry,
With a down-a-down-a-derry.

"Our hearts could rhyme," said she.
"'tis flattered I'm," said she,
"But oh, ah me,
You see, you see,
You see, you see
I happen to be,
I happen to be
The mother of three,
A wife already
And mother of three,
Of three, of three, of three, of three, of three-
The mother of three!"

The jolly tar he laughed a laugh.
"'tis for the best, my bonny,
That you won't be my better half."
With a hey and a nonny,
With a hey and a nonny.
"I near forgot on seeing you
That I've a wife in Kerry,
In Spain and also Timbuktu."
With a down-a-derry,
With a down-a-down-a-derry.

"You've got me thinking twice
Goodbye to shoes and rice,
For oh, ah me,
Just now, you see,
Just now, you see
I happen to be,
I happen to be
The husband of three
A-spliced already
And husband of three
Of three, of three, of three, of three, of three-
The husband of three!"