Regarding John Mehlberg's hypothesis concerning "Oh no John" as a source for the various parodies it may well be the case that "Madam shall I tie your garter Tie it a little above our knee Suppose my hand should slip a little farther Wouldn't you think it rude of me?" is a floating verse of the same type as occurs in many shanties. In the days when hems were at the ankle and garters were worn, the implied sexiness covered by a supposedly gallant offer of such a suggestion would have wide appeal. This alone could explain why all of Sharpe's versions contained it and why it may have surfaced in many guises elsewhere. Love those parodies.
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