All Round My Hat
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Lesley Nelson-Burns

Information
Lyrics
This traditional English tune tells the story of a street hawker mourning the loss of his girl-friend who has been transported to Australia for theft.

The tune appears as The Budgeon is a Fine Trade in Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time (1859). (Budge was cockney slang for thief.)

According to another source the tune was popular in the 1830s.

My love she was fair and my love she was kind
And cruel the judge and jury that sentenced her away
For thieving was a thing that she never was inclined to
They sent my love across the sea ten thousand miles away

Chorus
All round my hat I will wear the greenie willow
All round my hat for a year and a day
And if anyone should question me the reason for my wearing it
I tell them my own true love is ten thousand miles away

I bought my love a golden ring to wear upon her finger
A token of our own true love and to remember me
And when she returns again we'll never more be parted
We'll marry and be happy for ever and a day

Chorus
All round my hat I will wear the greenie willow
All round my hat for a year and a day
And if anyone should question me the reason for my wearing it
I tell them my own true love is ten thousand miles away

Seven, seven long years my love and I are parted
Seven, seven long years my love is bound to stay
Seven long years I'll love my love and never be false-hearted
And never sigh or sorrow while she's far, far away

Chorus
All round my hat I will wear the greenie willow
All round my hat for a year and a day
And if anyone should question me the reason for my wearing it
I tell them my own true love is ten thousand miles away

Some young men there are who are preciously deceitful
A-coaxing of the fair young maids they mean to lead astray
As soon as they deceive then, so cruelly they leave them
I'll love my love for ever though she's far, far away

Chorus
All round my hat I will wear the greenie willow
All round my hat for a year and a day
And if anyone should question me the reason for my wearing it
I tell them my own true love is ten thousand miles away

Related Links
From Folksongs of Britain and Ireland
See Bibliography for full information.