I had a long-legged lurcher dog,
I kept her in me keeping.
She'd flush out hare, on a moonlit night,
While the gamekeepers lie sleeping,
While the gamekeepers lie sleeping.

One day the policeman collared me,
To have me in his keeping.
Your brindle made a moonlit raid,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping.

I seen her come out of the wood,
Across the fields a-speeding.
A partridge she had in her mouth,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping.

But my dog's black and white you see,
So I'm not for your keeping.
He couldn't see, I'd brindled she,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping.

One day his wife fell mortal ill,
He had to give up p'licing.
But I dropped one bird on his door each night,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping.

Now she fared so well upon pheasant broth,
Her colour come back creeping.
So long as my bitch roamed abroad,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping,
While the gamekeepers lay sleeping.

Now the bitch she pupped and I given him one,
To have in his own keeping.
Now he's left the force, and he roams wi' me,
While the gamekeepers lie sleeping,
While gamekeepers lie sleeping.