Hangtown Gals
[Air- New York Gals]

1
Hangtown gals are plump and rosy,
Hair in ringlets mighty cosy;
Painted cheeks and gassy bonnets;
Touch them and they'll sting like hornets.

Chorus
Hangtown gals are lovely creatures,
Think they'll marry Mormon preachers;
Heads thrown back to show their features-
Ha, ha, ha! Hangtown gals.

2
They're dreadful shy of forty-niners,
Turn their noses up at miners;
Shocked to hear them say "gol durn it!"
Try to blush, but cannot come it.

Chorus

3
They'll catch a neighbor's cat and beat it,
Cut a bean in halves to eat it;
Promenade in silk and satin,
Cannot talk, but murder Latin.

Chorus

4
On the streets they're always grinning;
Modestly they lift their linen;
Petticoats all trimmed with laces,
Matching well their painted faces.

Chorus

5
To church they very seldon venture-
Hoops so large they cannot enter;
Go it, gals, you're young and tender,
Shun the pick and shovel gender.

Chorus

Put's Golden Songster, p. 58
Tune and lyrics in Dwyer & Lingenfelter, The Songs of the Gold Rush, p. 126.
Music "New York Gals" or "Boston Gals," Comic Songs

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Click to play (pdmusic.org)

[Tune notes by Artful Codger]
"New York Gals" was a minstrel song of unknown origin. It's not to be confused with either the popular sea song "New York Girls," or with "Buffalo Gals."

Sheet music [PDF; 1843] in the Lester S. Levy Collection.

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