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PARSON BROWN
(JOHN DAWSON)
DOWN, DOWN, DOWN WELL, WELL, WELL NOW EVERYBODY SAID HE WAS RIGHTEOUS MY, MY, MY 'CAUSE DOWN, DOWN, DOWN PARSON BROWN'S SHEEP William Pratt, Printer, 82, Digbeth, Birmingham, ca. 1850 Not long ago in our town A little place of great renown There lived a man named Mr. Brown And he was our parson Father he was very poor Christmas it was very near We'd neither mutton, beef nor beer For our Christmas dinner SPOKEN: They were very hard times for poor folks! Faider had lost his work cause he was getting old and couldn't do much; so I went to Parson Brown and asked him for some broken wittles; but he wouldn't gi' me ony but sot the dog at me, and sent me beeak broken hearted When I came beeak, who should there be [but] faider wi' one o' Parson Brown's fat wether sheep There, said the old man, that's the first time I ever robbed in my life; but they won't let me work and I can't starve. Egad! I was nation pleased to see the old sheep I ran and kissed mother, father, and the old sheep and all, and ran up and down, singing CHORUS: Faider stole the parson's sheep And we shall have both pudding and meat And a merry Christmas we shall keep But I mayn't say aught about it I sung up and down the street all day Parson heard what I did say And asked me in a civil way If I'd sing it o'er again, sir Says he, I'll gi' thee half-a-crown A suit of clothes and money down If to church you'll go alone And sing it to the people SPOKEN: Egad! Then, I said, I will He gave me a bran new suit of clothes and half-a-crown I ran home and told mother what parson had given me to go to church and sing Faider stole the parson's sheep, &c My mother thought as I was mad Says she, what ever ails the lad? You know they'll surely hang your dad If you say aught about it Says I, then, mother, I'll tell thee What I will do as sure as can be I'll [tell] the folks what I did see The parson doing to Molly SPOKEN: I said, I'm dang'd if I doan't, mother. Well she said Do lad, but don't thee say a word about the old sheep if thee do, they'll hang thee and thy faider too. No, I said, I woan't then So off I went, in all my bran new clothes I'm sure I never looked so fine in all my life afore. I was as pleased as a cat with a pepper-box I goes clink-o-me-clink, clink-o-me-clink, right up to the parson He began to tell the folk what I had come for Now, he says, I hope you'll hearken attentively to what this lad be about to sing for it is a most notorious and outrageous crime as ever was committed and ought to be severely punished, and every word he says is as true as the gospel I am now preaching Then he swelled himself up like a turkey-cock, blew his nose, and told me to begin Then I began singing As I was in the field one day I saw our parson very gay Romping Molly on the hay And turn her upside down, sir And for fear it shouldn't be known A suit of clothes and half-a-crown Were all given me by Mr. Brown For I to come and tell about it SPOKEN: He! He! He! I thought parson would have gone ramping mad He stamped and swore it was the biggest lie that ever was told but the folks wouldn't believe him. They all run out of church and cried shame of parson He sent a big book at me, but it hit an old lady on the head Down she went and parson plump on top of her I ran off, singing CHORUS: I have done old Parson Brown Of a suit of clothes and half-a-crown For telling all the folk around What he had done to Molly |