The DT file is taken from Stephen Sedley's book The Seeds of Love (London: Essex Music, 1967, 52-53). Unfortunately, only the first half-sentence of his short note is quoted, so that a very misleading impression is given of the provenance of the song. The full note reads:

"From the 19th century broadside in the Baring-Gould Collection, collated with a set collected by Sharp and with the Scots song Let me in this ae night published by Herd in 1779. The tune, known in the 17th century as The Gown Made New, is collated here from Johnson, Scots Musical Museum and from the version in the Caledonian Pocket Companion, 1752."

One of Mr Sedley's collations, then, rather than a song taken from tradition. Most people will think, perhaps, of Martin Carthy's arrangement of the song, which he originally recorded with Steeleye Span; it is not too dissimilar. As it happens, Sedley provided suggested chords; they are very simple.


My cap(Dm) is frozen to my head
My heart(C) is like a lump(Dm) of lead
My shoes are frozen to(F) my feet
With standing(G) at(Dm) your(G) window(Dm)

Let me in the soldier cried
Cold(C) haily rainy(Dm) night
O let me in the soldier cried
I'll not(Am) go back(C) again, O(Am)


Each chord is placed above the word after which I place it here. Tastes have changed in the intervening years, of course, and they might sound a bit old-fashioned now.