The Old Man From Lee

A song from the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs about an old man courting a young woman. The girl's mother is keen but the girl herself is not. On my recording on You Tube I use a concert ukulele in standard GCEA tuning and a rhythmic downstrum with the flesh of the thumb.

Chords used in this song

There [Dm] was an old man came [Am] over from [Dm] Lee

Eh, but I’ll not [A] have him.

There [Dm] was an old man came o’er from Lee,

A-courting me, a-courting me,

With his old grey beard,

With his old grey beard

Just [A7] Newly [Dm] shaven

My mother she told me to get him some pie.

I got him some pie and he put the crust by,

My mother she told me to hand him a stool.

I hand him a stool, he sat down like a fool,

My mother she told me to give him some wine.

I gave him some wine and he drank like a swine,

My mother she told me to take him to church.

I took him to church but left him in the lurch,

My mother she told me to take him to bed.

I took him to bed and he asked me to wed,