THE KEYS OF CANTERBURY
Somerset folk song
(He) O Madam, I will give to you the keys of Canterbury,
And all the bells in London shall ring to make you merry.
If you will be my joy my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere

(She) I shall not, Sir, accept of you the keys of Canterbury,
Nor all the bells of London shall ring to make us merry,
I will not be your joy, your sweet and only dear,
Nor walk along with you, anywhere.

(He) O Madam, I will give to you a pair of boots of cork,
The one was made in London the other made in York.
If you will be my joy my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere

(She) I shall not, Sir, accept of you a pair of boots of cork,
Though both were made in London, or both made in York,
I will not be your joy, your sweet and only dear,
Nor walk along with you, anywhere.

(He) O Madam, I will give to you a little golden bell,
To ring for all your servants, and make them serve you well.
If you will be my joy my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere

(She) I shall not, Sir, accept of you a little golden bell,
To ring for all my servants, and make them serve me well,
I will not be your joy, your sweet and only dear,
Nor walk along with you, anywhere.

(He) O Madam, I will give to you a broidered silken gownd,
With nine yards a-drooping and training on the ground.
If you will be my joy my sweet and only dear,
And walk along with me, anywhere

(She) Sir, I will accept of you a broidered silken gownd,
With nine yards a-drooping and training on the ground,
(Both)Then (I will be your joy, your) sweet and only dear,
                   (You shall be my joy, my)
And walk along with (you,) anywhere.
                                  (me, )

X: 1
T:Keys of Canterbury
M:6/8
L:1/8
S: Singing Together Spring 1967
Z: NP 4 January 2022
K:G
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w: O Mad-am, I will give to you the keys of Can-te-rbu-ry, And all the bells in Lon-don shall ring to make you mer-ry. If you will be my joy_ my sweet and on-ly dear,_ And walk a-long with me, a-ny-where

Sourced from "Singing Together" (BBC Schools radio broadcasts) Spring Term 1967. It also appears in the same publication for Autumn 1948 but without the 'cork boots' verse NP