Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Popular music of the olden time > Volume 2

TRADITIONAL SONGS OF UNCERTAIN DATE.
731
SAW YOU MY FATHER ?
This song is printed on broadsides, with the tune, and in Vocal Music, or the
Songster's Companion, ii. 36, 2nd edition, 1772. This collection was printed by-
Robert Horsfield, in Ludgate Street, and probably the words and music will also
be found in the first edition, which I have not seen.
The words are in several " Songsters," such as " The new Pantheon Concert,
being a choice collection of the newest songs, sung this and the last season, at the
Pantheon, Vauxhall, Ranelagh, and other places of entertainment," 8vo., N.D.
The tune is in Thompson's Collection of 200 Country Dances, iii. 99, (1775), in
Straight and Skillern's Collection of 204 Country Dances, &c.
Herd included a Scottified version of the words, in his Ancient and Modem
Scottish Songs, 2nd edition, 1776, (together with " There was a Jolly Miller,"
" Old King Cole," and sundry other English songs), and he has since been copied
by others.
James Hook (the author of The Lass of Richmond Hill, and many other
charming songs) composed variations to this air, if not the air itself. It is
much in his style of composition.
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Saw you ray fa-ther ? Saw you my mo - ther ? Saw you my true love
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He told his on - ly dear That he soon would he here, But
John?
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I saw not your father,
I saw not your mother,
But I saw your true love John ;
He has met with some delay,
Which has caused him to stay,
But he will be here anon.
Then John he up arose,
And to the door he goes,
And he twirl'd, he twiil'd at the pin ;
The lassie took the hint,
And to the door she went,
And she let her true love in.
Fly up, fly up,
My bonny grey cock,
And crow when it is day ;
Your breast shall be
Of the beaming gold,
And your wings of the silver grey.
Tho cock he proved false,
And untrue he was,
For he crow'd an hour too soon ;
The lassie thought it day,
So she sent her love away,
And it prov'd but the blink of the moon.