(Trad - Child 275)
O the barrin' o' the door o
Weel weel weel
O the barrin' o' the door
Weel
It fell about a Christmas time, and a
cauld time it was then o
When our guidwife had puddings to make, and she
boiled them in the pan
The wind it blew from north to south,
and it blew untae the floor o
Said our guidman to his guidwife, Get up and bar
the door
My hand is in the mixing bowl as well
that you can see o
If it's never barred this hundred year, it'll not
be barred by me
They made a pact between themselves,
they made it firm and sure o
Whoever should speak the first word, should rise
and bar the door
By there came two gentlemen at twelve
o'clock at night o
There they saw the man and wife sitting by
candlelight
Have we found a rich man's house, or
is it but you're poor o
But neither o' them would speak a word for the
barrin' o' the door
First they ate the white puddings and
then they ate the black o
And though the guidwife thought a lot yet never a
word she spak
Said one traveller tae the other ye're
a man to wield a knife
You shave off the auld man's beard and I will
kiss his wife
There's no hot water in the house, and
what shall I do then o
Why don't you use the gravy that's boilin' in the
pan
Then up jumped our guidman, and an
angry man was he o
Wad ye kiss my wife before my eyes and shave my
beard with gravy
Then up jumped our guidwife and
skipped around the floor o
Admit it now, you've spoken first, get up and bar
the door
1, As sung by The Ian Campbell Folk Group
There was an old couple lived under
the hill
Blunt, it was their name-o
They had good beer and ale for to sell
It bore a wonderful fame-o
John Blunt and his wife, they drank of
the drink
Until they could drink no more-o
They both got tired and they went up to bed
And forgot to bar the door-o
So they a bargain, bargain made
Made it strong and sure-o
The first of them should speak the first word
Should get up and bar the door-o
So there came travellers, travellers
three
Travelling in the night-o
No house, no home, no fire had they
Nor yet no candle light-o
They went to his cellar, they drank up
his drink
Until they could drink no more-o
But never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door-o
They went to his larder, they ate up
his food
Until they could eat no more-o
And never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door-o
They went upstairs, they went to his
room
They broke down the door-o
But never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door-o
They hauled his wife all out of the
bed
Laid her out on the floor-o
Then up got poor John Blunt in his bed
For he could stand no more-o
Says, You've eaten my food, you've
drunk all my drink
Laid my wife on the floor-o
You spoke the first word, John Blunt, she said
So go down and bar the door-o
2, as sung by Martin Carthy under the title
John Blunt