Up the Streets and Down the Streets

DESCRIPTION: "Up the streets and down the streets And in a narrow planting, Isn't (name) a nice young lassie? Isn't (name) as nice as she? They shall be married And they shall agree.... It's love... and don't say 'nay.' Next Monday morning is her wedding day."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1930 (Flanders/Brown-VermontFolkSongsAndBallads); for a possible earlier citation in _Gammer Gurton's Garland_ see the NOTES
KEYWORDS: love playparty nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber)) US(NE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Flanders/Brown-VermontFolkSongsAndBallads, p. 189, "Up the Streets and Down the Streets" (1 text)
Opie/Opie-TheSingingGame 26, "Up the Street and Down the Street" (6 texts)
Porter/Gower-Jeannie-Robertson-EmergentSingerTransformativeVoice, #5, pp. 116-117, "Up and Doun the Street" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #5453
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Up the Street, Down the Street" (lyrics)
NOTES [81 words]: The first line of this is commonplace. Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784) has a piece beginning "Up street and down street," but continues "Each window's made of glass; If you go to Tom Tickler's house, you'll find a pretty lass. Hug her and kiss her and take her on your knee...." Related? Hard to say. It is Opie/Opie-OxfordDictionaryOfNurseryRhymes 491, "Up Street and down street" (1 text).
Newell's #72 uses a similar line to start a race; see "Up the Street, Down the Street." - RBW
Last updated in version 5.3
File: FlBr189

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