THE COMBER BALLAD
Come all ye good people and listen to me
I'll sing you a song of a strange history,
But I hardly need say that the song I have made
Is a bit of discourse 'tween a man and a maid.
Now this maid went to Comber, her markets to learn,
To sell for her mammy three hanks of fine yarn,
When she met with a young man upon the highway,
Which caused this young damsel to dally and stray.
"Oh, sit down beside me, I'll do you no harm,
Sit down beside me, this new tune to learn,
And I'll give you three guineas your mother to pay
And I'll teach you a tune called "The Next Market Day".
'Oh', says she 'I have tunes and enough for to do,
And my mother has warned me 'gainst strangers like you,
My Mother has warned me, and her I must heed,
And besides I've my markets to make with all speed.'
'Oh your markets can wait, and the day it is young,
And the tune I will teach you is easily sung!
'Tis you are the coaxer, one moment I'll stay,
I'm longing to learn it "The Next Market Day"'.
So they sat down together, the grass it was, green,
And the day was the fairest that ever was seen,
"The look in your eyes would lead angels astray,
I could sit by your side till the next Market day!"
Now this young maid went home and her cheeks they were red,
And the tune that he played her still rang in her head,
When her mother asked questions, this is all she would say:
"There was never a tune like 'The Next Market Day'".