Digital Tradition Mirror

Leather-Headed Songsters

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Leather-Headed Songsters

cho: You leather-headed songsters who will mutilate the song (2x)

You sailor laddies great and small
I pray you lend an ear
Attention pay and you straightaway
A tale of truth shall hear,
About those louts who we despise
Correct us if we're wrong
You leather etc.


They do not care for meter
They do not care for rhyme
A song they'll slash and fiercely dash
We've heard it manys the time
One line short full it sadly limps
The other steps too long
You leather etc.

It is the jolly sailor man
Who does delight to sing
He'll pick his choice and with his voice
The welkin make to ring;
But though one sad voice
Be loud or harsh
It generally is strong
You leather etc.

And when his voice is out
With lofty whoops and howls,
You wolves would swear
And, yes, declare
Around your shack it prowls.
Such once one never could believe
To mortal did belong,
You leather etc.

Sometimes it is a song of love
Sometimes a song marine
Or a song of war bedaubed with gore
Or maybe, song of sea.
But as a rule
'Tis of a maid
Subjected unto wrong
You leather etc.

So you songsters all
Both great and small
Who essay us to charm,
Even though your yells be worse then knells
We wish to you no harm;
But Hades blight we boldly lay
And lay it on full strong
On you etc.

Heard from Dick Swain
From Minstrelsy of Maine
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!