Billy Boy (traditional)

A curious legend; fun for all ages
From before 1800.
words and music traditional
arranged for piano by Edward L. White

The melody probably originated in the British Isles centuries ago. The lyric idea and pattern may be based on the old English ballad Lord Randall. It evolved through lots of American variations into the version you see here. It was firmly established by 1800. The print I used is from Boston in 1847.

The sheet music:

Billy-Boy – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment track:

Billy-Boy – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. Oh, where have you been, Billy boy, Billy boy
    Oh, where have you been, charming Billy?
    I have been to seek a wife, she’s the joy of my life
    She’s a young thing and cannot leave her mother
  2. Did she bid you to come in, Billy boy, Billy boy
    Did she bid you to come in, charming Billy?
    Yes, she bade me to come in, there’s a dimple in her chin
    She’s a young thing and cannot leave her mother
  3. Did she set for you a chair, Billy boy, Billy boy
    Did she set for you a chair, charming Billy?
    Yes, she set for me a chair, she has ringlets in her hair
    She’s a young thing and cannot leave her mother
  4. Can she make a cherry pie, Billy boy, Billy boy
    Can she make a cherry pie, charming Billy?
    She can make a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink her eye
    She’s a young thing and cannot leave her mother
  5. Is she often seen at church, Billy boy, Billy boy
    Is she often seen at church, charming Billy?
    Yes, she’s often seen at church, with a bonnet white as birch
    She’s a young thing and cannot leave her mother
  6. How tall is she, Billy boy, Billy boy
    How tall is she, charming Billy?
    She’s as tall as any pine, and as straight as a pumpkin vine
    She’s a young thing and cannot leave her mother
  7. Are her eyes very bright, Billy boy, Billy boy
    Are her eyes very bright, charming Billy?
    Yes, her eyes are very bright, but alas they’re minus sight
    She’s a young thing and cannot leave her mother
  8. How old is she, Billy boy, Billy boy
    How old is she, charming Billy?
    She’s three times six, four times seven, twenty-eight and eleven
    She’s a young thing and cannot leave her mother

Sung here by Fred Feild: