American Old Time Song Lyrics: 03 Pretty Jemima
Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 3
PRETTY JEMIMA.
My love she lives in a two-pair luck,
Her eyes are bright as stars of night;
Of falling in love I've got a knack,
And she's the girl for me.
At six o'clock she leaves off work,
At seven she's finished her tea,
At eight she's dress'd in all her best.
And she comes for a walk with me.
Chorus.
Oh, pretty Jemima, don't say no.
Oh, hi oh! don't say no;
Pretty Jemima, don't say no,
And we will married be.
I once was afraid to speak outright;
I was so shy I feared to try;
The thought of it put me all in a fright,
So I'd grizzle and pine all day.
I was getting thin as a scaffold pole,
My buttons all fell away.
And just because I hadn't the nerve
To pluck up courage and say-Chorus.
We went for a walk not long ago;
Thinks I, somehow, I'll tell her now;
I just, was going to let her know,
When she spied a milliner's shop;
A hat and feathers was there for sale,
I couldn't do less than stop,
By the time I bad bought it my courage had dropped,
And I couldn't the question pop.-Chorus.
At last one morning I bought the ring,
And hit on a plan to make me a man;
Think- I to myself, this is the thing,
This night shall cast the die.
I held it up; look ye here, I said,
The moment it caught her eye,
Her lovely cheeks were suffused with red,
And seeing no one was by, I said-Chorus.
Of course I was anxious to know my fate,
I almost dread the words I said;
Whether to be with joy elate.
Or be the most wretched of men.
She tried it on her finger and said,
'Twos a little too large, but then
I could buy a keeper, and we'd get wed,
Next Saturday morninig at ten.-Chorus.