This is yet a another song that I found in Cecil Sharp's
80 English Folk Songs which gives an alternative title namely "The deaf woman's courtship". It's a courtship song, reminiscent of "A paper of pins" where as in this song, the lady being courted is old and deaf! Just as in
Paper of pins, I sing the lady's part in falsetto as you can hear from the download, which gets them all rolling in the aisles as it is so unexpected. It's of an old lady who, because of her deafness, cannot understand her suitor's proposals. It is only when the proposals refer to courtship or marriage does the level of her deafness miraculously diminish and that she can just about hear what her intended is drivelling about.
(Poor misguided fellow!)
