Queer Bungle Rye

Sailors were always getting themselves into trouble ashore… It seems that at sea they were rather sly and sharp witted while once they step on land they would make all sorts of half-brained decisions!  Here is a good example…  A song once popular in the Irish singing circuit and is claimed to date back to the 18th century, although I have NO evidence of that at this time.

Jos. Morneault

 

Now Jack was a sailor who roamed on the town
And she was a damsel who skipped up and down
Says the damsel to Jack as she passed him by
“Would you care for to purchase some
queer bungle rye roddy rye?”
Fol the diddle rye roddy rye roddy rye!

Says Jack to himself, “Now what can this be?
But the finest of whiskey from far Germany
Smuggled up in a basket and sold on the sly
And the name that it goes by is
quare bungle rye roddy rye?”
Fol the diddle rye roddy rye roddy rye!

Jack gave her a pound and he thought nothing strange
she said, “Hold now the basket till I run for your change”
Jack peeked in the basket and a baby did spy
“Oh, bedamnit!” says Jack, “This is
quare bungle rye roddy rye?”
Fol the diddle rye roddy rye roddy rye!

Now to get the child christened was Jack’s first intent
For to get the child christened, to the parson he went
Says the parson to Jack, “What will he go by?”
“Oh bedamnit”, says Jack, “Call him
quare bungle rye roddy rye!”
Fol the diddle rye roddy rye roddy rye!

Says the parson to Jack, “That’s a mighty queer name”
Says Jack to the parson, “It’s a queer way he came;
Smuggled up in a basket and sold on the sly
And the name that he’ll go by is
quare bungle rye roddy rye!”
Fol the diddle rye roddy rye roddy rye!

Now all you young sailors who roam on the town
Beware of those damsels who skip up and down
Take a peek in their basket as they pass you by
Or else they may sell you some
quare bungle rye roddy rye!
Fol the diddle rye roddy rye roddy rye!
It’s Fol the diddle rye roddy rye roddy rye!

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