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Updated
11/21/2019 |
The Little Beggarman
The Little Beggarman, also known
as An Carrowath, An Giolla Ruadh, The Auld Rigadoo, The Beggar Man, The
Beggarman, Danny Pearl’s Favorite, Danny Pearl’s Favourite, Gilderoy,
Guilderoy, Injun Ate A Woodchuck, The Jolly Beggar, The Journeyman, The
Little Beggar Man, The Little Beggerman, The Old Rigadoo, The Old
Soldier With The Wooden Leg, The Red Haired Boy, The Red Haired Lad, The
Red Headed Irishman, The Red-Haired Boy, The Redhaired Boy, The Rigadoo,
and Thy Redhaired Lad is a well-known Irish ballad that one songbook
proclaims "was learned by Colm O'Lochlainn in 1925 from a one-legged
accordion player in Harcourt Street." Poor old Johnny Dhu is a fellow
who toils mightily at not working at all.
Lyrics
I am a little beggarman and begging I have been
For three score or more in this little isle of green
I'm known from the Liffey down to Segue
And I'm known by the name of old Johnny Dhu
Of all the trade's that's going, sure begging is the best
For when a man is tired, he can sit down and rest
He can beg for his dinner, he has nothing else to do
Only cut around the corner with his old rig-a-doo
I slept in the barn, down at Caurabawn
A wet night came on and I slept 'till the dawn
With holes in the roof and the rain coming through
And the rats and the cats, they were playing peek-a-boo
When who did I waken but the woman of the house
With her white spotty apron and her calico blouse
She began to frighten and I said "boo
Aarah, don't be afraid mam it's only Johnny Dhu"
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I
met
a
little
flaxy-haired
girl
one
day
"Good
morning
little
flaxy-haired
girl"
I
did
say
"Good
morning
little
beggarman,
a
how
do
you
do
With
your
rags
and
you
tags
and
you
old
rig-a-doo"
I'll
buy
a
pair
of
leggings,
a
collar
and
a
tie
And
a
nice
young
lady
I'll
fetch
by
and
by
I'll
buy
a
pair
of
goggles
and
I'll
colour
them
blue
And
an
old
fashioned
lady
I
will
make
her
too
Over the road with my pack on
my
back
Over
the
fields
with
my
great
heavy
sack
With
holes
in
my
shoes
and
my
toes
peeping
through
Singing
skinny-me-rink
a
doodle
o
and
old
Johnny
Dhu
I
must
be
going
to
bed
for
it's
getting
late
at
night
The
fire's
all
raked
and
out
goes
the
light
So
now
you've
heard
the
story
of
my
old
rig-a-doo
It's
good-bye
and
God
be
with
you
says
old
Johnny
Dhu
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