Hi Tattie Bogle

Actually in Kenya it was the potential husband who had to pay a dowry to the bride's family.

Fadhili Williams claimed the song was autobiographical - that he was engaged to a girl whose parents married her off to a much older man because he couldn't afford to pay the dowry they wanted for her.

Still I agree that "Dear heart, you've no rich man's dowry" makes sense. It doesn't sound like she's singing "no" to me in that line but maybe you're right that she is, as it certainly would make sense.

Dave