Thanks, as always, John. Yes, I've had B&S for 30 years. I keep forgetting that 13 out of 14 Northumbrian songs ever sung are in there.

And it seems to be the same tune. To me it's clearly "Yankee Doodle" in the verses.

Handle's words are nearly identical to B&S. At one point he may be substituting "the diel knows what" for "I don't know what." I wonder if that makes it slightly off-colour?

But it's a great song, no kidding.