To my horror I find that it is now three weeks since I promised you guys the words of "Ladies Go A-Thieving", but I have only just managed to extract them from my source, Tom Wilson (of the Wilson Family).

He learnt it from Bandoggs, and sings it regularly in our club (The Wellington Inn, Wolviston, Teesside). I have also included a slight re-work of the tune. This is the one Tom sings & it had two notes different to the tune on the Mudcat three weeks ago.

Cheers

Paul

LADIES GO A-THIEVING

Ch. Oh don't we live all in curious times, you scarce could be believing
When Frenchmen fight, oh and emperors die, and ladies go a-thieving

1. Her beauty from the west then went, around the shop she lingers
And then upon some handkerchief she lights her pretty fingers

Ch.

2. Oh thieving is a wicked trade, as I to you will state now
If a poor man stole of a penny loaf they'd sent him off to Newgate

Ch.

3. He'd get six months all in Newgate jail, in roguery was dealing
But here's a lady all in a veil who rambles out a-thieving

Ch.

4. This trail of pity it did prevail, set what you mean by this then
And very soon she was in the arms of one of them new policemen

Ch.

5. Her husband when he heard the news began to shout and to curse her
He swore he'd take his whip to her and make her fingers blister

Ch.

6. Oh thieving is a wicked trade, as I to you will state now
If a poor man stole of a penny loaf they'd sent him off to Newgate

Date: 17th April 1998
From: Tom Wilson / Bandoggs

MIDI file: LADIES2.MID

Timebase: 192

Name: Ladies Go A-Thieving

Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)

TimeSig: 2/4 24 8

Key: D

Start

0288 1 69 073 0095 0 69 000 0001 1 66 080 0095 0 66 000 0001 1 69 079 0095 0 69 000 0001 1 62 088 0191 0 62 000 0001 1 64 086 0095 0 64 000 0001 1 66 063 0095 0 66 000 0001 1 64 086 0047 0 64 000 0001 1 62 070 0047 0 62 000 0001 1 59 083 0095 0 59 000 0001 1 57 093 0278 0 57 000 0010 1 62 071 0095 0 62 000 0001 1 61 094 0095 0 61 000 0001 1 62 091 0095 0 62 000 0001 1 64 101 0191 0 64 000 0001 1 62 113 0095 0 62 000 0001 1 64 086 0095 0 64 000 0001 1 66 080 0095 0 66 000 0001 1 69 097 0374 0 69 000 0010 1 69 073 0095 0 69 000 0001 1 66 080 0095 0 66 000 0001 1 69 079 0095 0 69 000 0001 1 62 088 0191 0 62 000 0001 1 64 086 0095 0 64 000 0001 1 66 063 0095 0 66 000 0001 1 64 086 0047 0 64 000 0001 1 62 070 0047 0 62 000 0001 1 59 083 0095 0 59 000 0001 1 57 089 0288 1 57 097 0002 0 57 000 0093 0 57 000 0001 1 55 076 0095 0 55 000 0001 1 57 091 0095 0 57 000 0001 1 59 117 0287 0 59 000 0001 1 57 104 0095 0 57 000 0001 1 59 104 0095 0 59 000 0001 1 62 085 0380 0 62 000

End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1

T:Ladies Go A-Thieving

M:2/4

Q:1/4=100

K:D

A8|F2A2D4|E2F2EDB,2|A,6D2|C2D2E4|D2E2F2A2|

-A6A2|F2A2D4|E2F2EDB,2|A,6A,2|G,2A,2B,4|-B,2A,2B,2D2|

-D6||