Tapping at the Garden Gate

DESCRIPTION: The singer asks a girl in the room: "Who's that tapping at the garden gate" every night? She blushes and looks under the table. The singer says it's not there, and it's not a cat. "Cats don't know when it's half-past eight"
AUTHOR: Words: J. Loker; Music: S. W. New
EARLIEST DATE: before 1867 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 11(1375))
KEYWORDS: courting humorous nonballad animal
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Greig/Duncan4 807, "Tap, Tap, Tapping" (1 fragment)
Heart-Songs, pp. 264-265, "Tapping at the Garden Gate" (1 text, 1 tune)
Dime-Song-Book #22, p. 63, "Tapping at the Garden Gate" (1 text)
Roud #6208
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 11(1375), "Tapping at the Garden Gate" ("Who's that tapping at the garden gate?"), J. Harkness (Preston), 1840-1866; also Firth b.27(173), "Tapping at the Garden Gate"
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Who's That Tapping at the Garden Gate?
NOTES [41 words]: Greig/Duncan4 is a fragment; broadside Bodleian Harding B 11(1375) is the basis for the description.
The authorship attribution is from sheet music at California Sheet Project site. - BS
Heart-Songs also attributes the song to Loker and New - RBW
Last updated in version 6.7
File: GrD4807

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