I returned to this thread in 2014 nine years after Joe Offer solved the mystery (in 2005). I came back (and found his answer) because Joe and Abby and I had gone with Dani to Lisa Null's house last week before the Getaway to share bawdy songs with two members of the Library of Congress staff, and the song came back to mind.

I am delighted to learn that the mystery surrounding the song was my own bad memory of "tinker" instead of "grocer" and that the Merry Wedding is in fact the piece that lurked in memory lo, these fifty years and more.

Joe, you are a champ. (Of course, if your own memory were impeccable you would have remembered this when it came up in 2014!). But I am indebted to you for your work, as usual, sir.

Ain't the Mudcat a remarkable thing? Three different members of the Library of Congress staff in the American Folklore department have sworn to us that they use it every day and love it. We are renowned in high places!

A