Merrily Kiss the Quaker's Wife
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Irish
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Transcription: by Darryl D. Bush
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Lyrics:
The quaker's wife sat down to bake,
With all her bairns about her.
She made them all a sugar cake,
And the miller he wants his mouter.
Sugar and spice and all things nice,
And all things very good in it;
And then the quaker sat down to play
A tune upon the spinet.
Chorus:
Merrily danced the quaker's wife and merrily danced the quaker.
Merrily danced the quaker's wife and merrily danced the quaker.
The quaker's wife sat down to spin
And merrily turned the wheel, oh!
And then the quaker he looked in
To say he'd like a meal, oh!
For if you feed your good man well,
He'll love you all your life, oh!
And then to all the world he'll tell,
There never was such a wife, oh!
Chorus
Another version:
The Quaker's wife she baked a scone
And jauntily danced til it was done,
Merrily kiss the Quaker's wife
And merrily kiss the Quaker.
"Merrily Kiss the Quaker's Wife", also known as "Humors of Last Night (The)", "Merrily Kissed the Quaker's Wife",<br> or "Merrily Kiss the Crater." is an Irish slide in 12/8 time and G Major (most versions)<br> or D Major (Feldman & O'Doherty). The parts are played AA'B (Feldman & O'Doherty/O'Donnell #1),<br> AABB (Feldman & O'Doherty/O'Donnell #2) or AABBCC (most versions). It is<br> from West Kerry, Ireland.<br> Slides are traditionally in 12/8 but most modern transcribers have it in 6/8.<br> The jig-like dance for the Irish slide is mainly done in the south west of<br> Ireland, especially west Clare, Cork, and County Kerry, according to the Boys of the Lough.<br> As "The Humors of Last Night" the melody can be found in O'Neill's collection<br> of 1787. Scots versions parallel and predate Irish versions. The titles in<br> both genres vary between 'Kiss/Kissed/Dance/Danced' and 'Quaker/Quaker's Wife'.<br> The melody was well-known in America at the time of the Revolutionary War<br> where it was employed as both a quick march and dance tune. As a march, it was<br> published in Captain Robert Hinde’s (1720-1786) Collection of Quick Marches. <br> It was printed in Brody's Fiddler's Fakebook (1983),<br> Bulmer & Sharpley's Music from Ireland, vol. 1 (1974),<br> Feldman & O'Doherty's The Northern Fiddler (1978),<br> Mac Amhlaoibh & Durham's An Pota Stóir: Ceol Seite Corca Duibne/The<br> Set Dance Music of West Kerry,<br> Moylan's Johnny O'Leary of Sliabh Luachra (1994),<br> O'Neill's Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody,<br> Tubridy's Irish Traditional Music, vol. 1 (1999) and<br> Vallely's Learn to Play the Tin Whistle with Armagh Pipers Club, vol. 2.<br> It was recorded by Boys of the Lough on Second Album (1974),<br> The Chieftains on Chieftains 3,<br> Planxty on The Planxty Collection (1974), <br> Kretzner & Leibovitz on Pigtown Fling: Dulcimer Sessions and many others.<br> I learned it from Boys of the Lough.<br>
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