Little Beggarman, The (Johnny Dhu)

DESCRIPTION: "I am a little beggarman, a-begging I have been, For three score years and more in this little isle of Green...." (Johnny Dhu) briefly narrates his life, including nights in barns and a "flaxy-haired girl's" attempt to court him. He sets out on his way
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1925 (OLochlainn-MoreIrishStreetBallads)
KEYWORDS: rambling begging gypsy courting
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 345, "The Little Beggarman" (1 text, 1 tune)
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H751, pp. 50-51, "The Oul' Rigadoo" (1 text, 1 tune)
OLochlainn-MoreIrishStreetBallads 26, "The Beggarman's Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT, BEGGARDH*
Roud #900
RECORDINGS:
Paddy Doran et al, "The Little Beggarman" (on FSB3)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Red Haired Boy" (tune)
cf. "Me Old Ragadoo" (tune, lyrics)
NOTES [50 words]: See Tim Coughlan, Now Shoon the Romano Gillie, (Cardiff,2001), #172, pp. 447-448, "I Don't Give a Damn for Gaiging is the Best" [Scotto-Romani/Tinklers' Cant version from Maher (1972?)]. Coughlan also quotes an English text of "The Oul' Rigadoo" as performed at the Coleraine Musical Festival. - BS
File: K345

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