American Old Time Song Lyrics: 25 The Hurdy Gurdy Man

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 25

THE HURDY-GURDY MAN.

I am not so very happy, nor I am not so very sad,
So put me down as middling, tho' it really is too bad.
For any girl to serve a chap the way that I've been served­I'll never be served so again, for I'll never take their word.
A girl I courted for six months, her Christian name was Fanny,
When I asked her if she would marry me, she said she would be glad;
But at present her intention was to stay at home with mamma.
And she couldn't think of parting from her dear, old, darling dad.

Chorus.
She said it would break her heart for to go and leave her mammy,
She said it would break her heart to leave her poor old dad;
But now she's gone from home, has this false, deceitful Fanny,
And she travels about the country with a hurdy-gurdy man.

Now Fanny was not handsome, but I thought she was sincere,
And then she had such winning ways, which made me her revere;
Till a hurdy-gurdy grinder, he chanced to pass that way,
And for Fanny's recreation for hours he would play.
He'd grind a bit and dance a bit, and then he'd sing a ditty,
I often gave a steaver to this nasty, low-bred man;
Who said he was an orphan, which caused me him to pity,
But I never thought he'd cheek enough to run away with Fan.-Chorus.

Her father and her mother they were very fond of me.
And often they invited me my Fanny for to see;
I found her father 'bacca, and I found her mother rum,
And on Fanny I invested a pretty tidy sum.
Now Fanny was a girl I always thought so well of.
When I think how she served me, it my peace of mind destroys;
Of Mother Cummins' kids I often beard her tell of,
But I never thought she'd ran away with the biggest of her boys.-Chorus.

When her father told me that Fan had cut her stick,
I felt as if I had received a blow from half a brick;
Now Fanny was a girl I thought a little more pride had
Than to travel about the country with a hurdy-gurdy lad.
I hear she has a tambourine, and her voice is loud And ringing-
Often in my wanderings, I fancy I shall meet
This hurdy-gurdy grinder and Fan a doing the singing,
Giving a morning concert to some children in the street.-Chorus.