Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Nottingham Fair / Nottamun Town / Fair Nottalin Town (Roud No. 1044) / Paddy Backwards (Roud No. 1687) - Sung by Alexander N. March of Port au Port, Newfoundland, Canada. Recorded by MacEdward Leach in 1950.
Song transcription:
As I was a-driving down Market town fair
A-riding on horseback a bonny grey mare
Short tail and a white mane and a hump on her back
And not a hair on her but that wasn't jet black
My horse standing still threw me off in the dirt
He dirtied my body and bruised all my shirt
And into my saddle my stirrups so gay
And on my ten toes I went jogging away
It rained and it blowed and I stood in the storm
My hat in my hand to keep my head warm
I took a glass of strong grape juice to drive gladness away
To stiffen the dirt for it rained the whole day
As I was a-driving up fair James's park
In the middle of noon one night it was dark
I met a man he was all dressed in green
Black pants and white waistcoat twas plain to be seen
Oh, it's home to old England I'll carry my bride
With a ship on dry land and a fair wind and a tide
And when I gets back in the place I was born
I'll buy a new silver cup made of cow-horn
As I was a driving down up market one day
I saw three pretty fair maids a-making of hay
I saw three pretty fair maids a-making of hay
In the middle of winter one fine summer's day
A one-legged drummer was beating his drum
With his heels in his pockets up to me he did run
He turned his back to me stared me in the face
And asked me the way as if I did know the place
The recording can be listened to here:
mmap.mun.ca/folk-songs-of-atlantic-canada/performances/336
Nottingham Fair / Nottamun Town / Fair Nottalin Town (Roud No. 1044) / Paddy Backwards (Roud No. 1687) - Sung by Alexander N. March of Port au Port, Newfoundland, Canada. Recorded by MacEdward Leach in 1950.
Song transcription:
As I was a-driving down Market town fair
A-riding on horseback a bonny grey mare
Short tail and a white mane and a hump on her back
And not a hair on her but that wasn't jet black
My horse standing still threw me off in the dirt
He dirtied my body and bruised all my shirt
And into my saddle my stirrups so gay
And on my ten toes I went jogging away
It rained and it blowed and I stood in the storm
My hat in my hand to keep my head warm
I took a glass of strong grape juice to drive gladness away
To stiffen the dirt for it rained the whole day
As I was a-driving up fair James's park
In the middle of noon one night it was dark
I met a man he was all dressed in green
Black pants and white waistcoat twas plain to be seen
Oh, it's home to old England I'll carry my bride
With a ship on dry land and a fair wind and a tide
And when I gets back in the place I was born
I'll buy a new silver cup made of cow-horn
As I was a driving down up market one day
I saw three pretty fair maids a-making of hay
I saw three pretty fair maids a-making of hay
In the middle of winter one fine summer's day
A one-legged drummer was beating his drum
With his heels in his pockets up to me he did run
He turned his back to me stared me in the face
And asked me the way as if I did know the place
The recording can be listened to here:
mmap.mun.ca/folk-songs-of-atlantic-canada/performances/336
