You Rambling Boys of Pleasure

Roud# 386

Earliest reference to this song is from a 1756 printers broadside catalogue.
Printer: Chas. Sanderson catalogue (a) p.14 (Edinburgh)
Date: 1756

The earliest printed versions can be found in broadsides from about 1800 which are of three verses, but do not contain the 'sally's gardens' verse.

Printer: Davenport (London)
Date: 1799-1807
Source: Cambridge University LIbrary, Madden Collection, Slip Songs O-Y (VWML micro 73, item 1601)

A three verse version can be found in a broadside from the Bodleian Llibrary Broadside Ballads.
Printer: Evans, Long-lane, London
Date: between 1780 and 1812

You rambling boys of pleasure,
who in roving take delight,
It's true I am a gay rover,
and in roving take delight;
I fix'd my mind on a fair maid,
But oftentimes she did me slight,
My mind was ne'er right easy,
But when my love was in my sight.

The second time I saw my love,
I thought her heart it had been mine,
Her graceful and handsome face,
I thought her quite Devine;
But gold's the root of evil,
Altho' it bears a glittering hue,
Causes many a lad and lass to part,
Let their hearts and minds be e'er so true.

There's one thing more I do disdain,
That's to be call'd a runaway,
Yet in this country born and bred,
And Cupid will not set me free;
I leave my love behind me,
Alas! and alas! what shall I do?
Must I become a rover,
Into the land I never knew.


Later, by about 1850, this ballad became six verses, and included the 'sally's gardens' verse. This may indicate two different songs were merged into one.

Printer: Printed and Sold by J. Bebbington, Printer by Steam Power, 31, Oldham Road, Manchester
Date: between 1858 and 1861

Ye rambling boys of pleasure,
Give ear unto these lines I write,
It's true I am a rover,
In roving I take great delight;
I fixed my mind on a fair maid,
Tho' ofttimes she did me slight,
I never could be easy,
But when my love was in my sight.

It was down by Sally's gardens,
One evening as I chanced to stray,
There I beheld my charmer,
She appeared to me like the queen of May,
She bid me take love easy,
Just as the leaves fall from the tree,
But I being young and airy,
My love and I could not agree.

The second time I saw my love,
I thought her heart was mine,
But as the weather alters,
So did this fair maid change her mind,
Gold is the root of evil,
Tho' it shines with a glittering hue,
And makes many a lad and lass to part,
If their hearts or minds be ever so true.

I wish I was in Dublin,
And my true love along with me,
Money to support us,
And keep us in good company;
Money to support us,
And a flowing bowl on every side,
Hard fortune ne'er should daunt me,
For I am young and the world is wide.

One thing more I do disdain,
That is to be called a run away,
Now in this country bred and born,
But Cupid did not set me free,
I leave my love behind me,
Good lack! and what shall I do,
Now I am become a rover,
Unto the land I never knew.

It's now I'm on the ocean still,
Constant unto her I'll prove,
Altho' from her I'm parted,
There's none on earth but her I love,
I'll rove about for pleasure,
That all the world may plainly see,
And if e'er I return from the ocean,
Rich prizes, love, I'll bring to thee.


A hand-written copy of a version in a manuscript dated 1784 is in the possession of the Dartmouth Libraries Archives & Manuscripts, Hanover, New Hampshire.

Joseph Goffe notebook, Mss 783626, 1784.
Rauner Library Archives and Manuscripts, Hanover, New Hampshire

Description
Notebook from Joseph Goffe (1766-1846), born in Bedford New Hampshire, containing an account of the labor and cost of building a saw mill in Bedford, N.H. Entries for work done for Samuel Goffe. On last six pages are songs.
Dates: 1783-11-26 - 1784-12-17

A thankyou to Scout Noffke, for providing images of manuscript,
Reference & Administrative Specialist
Rauner Special Collections Library

1
It's down in Sally's Garden
O there hangs Rosies three
O there I met a fair maid
who told to me her mind so free
She bids me take love easy
as leaves they do fall from the tree
But I being young and Crazy
Could not with her agree.

2
A letter of agreement
I sent unto my turtle dove
With many a kind compliment
and seal'd it with a kiss of love
Saying if you dont accept of this
you will prove cruel to my fair
I ne'er will be a slave
to your fair female sex again

3
I wish I was in Ireland
or some such country of my own
Where girls I could get plenty
But here I can't have none
Where girls they are so plentiful
although their portion be but small
Sweetheart I could have twenty
Could I but maintain them all

4
I wish I was in Liverpool
and my true love along with me
and every thing was settled
to serve his Royal Majesty
Where liquor is so plentiful
and flowing bowls on ev'ry side
Hard fortune should not daunt me
I am young and the world is wide


Although the hand-written song does not have a title, three of the four verses are in keeping with the 1850's versions of You Rambling Boys of Pleasure.

The author of the manuscript Joseph Goffe (1721-1846) was born in Bedford, New Hampshire, and this hand-written version of the ballad has no references to North America, so this ballad would have its origins from the British Isles with references to Ireland, Liverpool and His Royal Majesty. It would have been transported to North America from the British Isles by immigrants sometime in the 18th century, and existed here by 1784 or earlier.

The broadside versions of the early 1800's are assumed to not have the 'sally's gardens' verse, which was assumed to be added later by the 1850's.
However, this hand-written version of 1784 indicates that the 'sally's gardens' verse was present in the earliest versions in the 18th century.
These two different early versions were later combined by the 1850's.


The "sally's garden" verse is claimed to have provided the poet W. B. Yeats with the inspiration of his poem, ‘An Old Song re-Sung’, later called ‘Down by the Salley Gardens’. The poet is said to have first heard from an old woman who sang it as she sat milking her cow in a field outside the village of Ballysodare in County Sligo.”
This “old song” is very probably You Rambling Boys of Pleasure, composed in the 18th century.