> Martin Carthy > Songs > Jolly Tinker
> Trevor Lucas > Songs > Tinker's Song

Jolly Tinker / Tinker's Song

[ Roud 863 ; Ballad Index K177 ; trad.]

Trevor Lucas sang the bawdy Tinker's Song in the soundtrack of Richard Rodney-Bennett's movie Far From the Madding Crowd (after the novel by Thomas Hardy) and on the BBC Radio LP Through Bushes and Briar.

Martin Carthy learned Jolly Tinker “by osmosis” and recorded it for his 1979 album Because It's There. This track was included in 2003 on The Definitive Collection. He was accompanied by John Kirkpatrick on concertina and Howard Evans playing trumpet. They also did this song in the augmented Martin Carthy Band (which eventually became Brass Monkey), e.g. at the 18th Cambridge Folk Festival in 1982. A short extract of this performance had been available as YouTube video some time ago but is gone now. I don't know if this recording is commercially available, and would be very grateful if anyone would let me know the details if so.

Lyrics

Trevor Lucas sings Tinker's Song

As I strolled down a shady lane at a door I chanced to knock,
“Have you any pots or kettles, ma'am, with rusty holes to block?”

Chorus (after each verse):

Well, indeed I have, don't you know I have,
With me rightful ti-ra-laddie, well, indeed I have.

The missus she came to the door and she asked me to come in,
Saying, “Welcome, jolly tinker and I hope you brought your tin.”

She let me through the kitchen and she let me throuch the hall,
And the maids all cried, “The devil! has he come to black us all”

She let me up the stairs, me lads, to show me mhat to do,
And then she fell on the feather bed, then I fell on it too.

Chorus: Well, indeed I did, ...

She then picked up the frying pan and she began to knock,
For to let the servants know, me lads, that I was at me work.

Chorus: Well, indeed I was, ...

She put her hand into a pocket, lads, to take out twenty pounds,
Saying, “Take this, jolly tinker, and we'll have another round.”

Chorus: Well, indeed we did, ...

I'd been a jolly tinker now for forty years or more,
But such a rusty hole as this I never blocked before.

Chorus: Well, indeed I haven't, ...

Martin Carthy sings Jolly Tinker

A noble London lady she loved a tinkerman
But she couldn't get in his company but a little now and then.

Chorus:

And you know she would,
Rum to the diddle, rum a diddle work a day

A noble London lady she used her ink and pen,
She wrote a letter to the jolly tinkerman.

Chorus: And you know she did, …

She wrote to him a letter, she sealed it with her hand,
Saying, “Oh how I love you now my jolly tinkerman.”

Chorus: And you know she did, …

She wrote to him another, she sent it with a friend,
Saying, “O my jolly tinker, my kettle needs a mend.”

Chorus: And you know she did, …

As he came running down the lane and at the door he knocked,
Saying, ”Where's the rusty kettle with the hole I've got to block.”

Chorus: And you know he did, …

Lady come downstairs, opened up the door,
She spied the jolly tinker standing naked on the floor.

Chorus: And you know he was, …

She led him through the kitchen, she led him through the hall,
And the servants said, “The devil, has he come to block us all.”

Chorus: And you know he had, …

She led him up the stair to show him what to do;
She fell on the featherbed and he fell on it too.

Chorus: And you know he did, …

She picked up the frying pan and she began to knock
Just to let the servants know my boys she was hard at work.

Chorus: And you know she was, …

Ran unto her pocket, she pulled out twenty pound,
“Take this my jolly tinker and we'll have another round.”

Chorus: And you know we will, …

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Wolfgang Hell; thanks from Garry Gillard.