Drummer Girl<br>
Drummer Girl<br>
Traditional<br>
Verse & chorus: "The Drummer Girl" is performed by Wild Mountain Thyme<br>
on their CD Depraved.<br>
<br>
Notes: This English song is one of many, many songs of<br>
it's ilk, where a young woman disguises herself as a man and joins the<br>
military. It was also recorded by Steeleye Span on "Please To See The King"<br>
(1971)<br>
<br>
I was brought up in Yorkshire and when I was sixteen<br>
I ran away to London and a soldier I became<br>
Chorus:<br>
With me fine cap and feathers, likewise me rattling drum<br>
They learn-ed me to play upon the ra-ba-da-ba-dum<br>
With me gentle waist so slender, me fingers long and small<br>
I could play upon the ra-ba-dum the best of them all<br>
And so many were the pranks that I saw upon the breech<br>
And so boldly did I fight me boys although I'm but a wench<br>
And they buttoned then up me trousers so up to them I smiled<br>
To think I'd live with a thousand men and a maiden all the while<br>
And they never found my secret out until this very hour<br>
When they sent me out to London to be sentry at the Tower<br>
When a young girl fell in love with me and she found that I's a maid<br>
She went out to me officer me secret she betrayed<br>
He unbuttoned then my red uniform and he found that it was true<br>
"It's a shame", he says "to lose a pretty drummer boy like you"<br>
So now I must return to me mum and dad at home<br>
And along with me old comrades no longer can I roam<br>
<br>