LOVING HANNAH
(a Ritchie family song, adapted and copyrighted by Jean Ritchie)

I rode to church last Sunday,
My truelove passed me by,
I knew her mind was a-changing
By the roving of her eye.

By the roving of her eye,
By the roving of her eye,
I knew her mind was a-changing
By the roving of her eye.

My love is fair and proper,
Her hands and feet are small;
And she is quite good-looking,
And that's the best of all.

And that's the best of all,
And that's the best of all,
And she is quite good looking,
And that's the best of all.

O Hannah, loving Hannah,
Come give to me your hand,
You said if you ever married,
That I would be the man.

That I would be the man,
That I would be the man,
You said if you ever married,
That I would be the man.

I'll go down by the waters
When everyone is asleep,
I'll think of loving Hannah,
And then sit down and weep.

And then sit down and weep,
And then sit down and weep,
And think on loving Hannah,
And then sit down and weep.

I wish I were in London
Or some other seaport town,
I'd set my foot on a bally boat
And I'd sail them seas all around.
I'd sail them seas all around,
I'd sail them seas all around,
I'd set my foot on a bally boat
And I'd sail them seas all around

© 1964 Jean Ritchie/Geordie Music Publishing Company

Excerpt from Jean's notes:

Older menfolk in the Ritchie family, rather than the women for some unknown reason, sang this song: Balis, my Dad, and his cousin Jason and Isom Ritchie. In the sixties, banjo players were singing a more modern version, "Handsome Molly."