Is it ok to reply to old mudcat threads when there's something new to ad? I apologise if it isn't.

Recently I've been listening to recordings of a blind traditional singer and accordion player named Dorman Ralph (1923-1999) from St. John's, Newfoundland. He was recorded by Prof. Kenneth S. Goldstein on August 20, 1981.

One of the songs he sang that day was the following, excellent version of "The Knife in the Window":

I says "Pretty Polly, can I have a night with you?",
I says "Pretty Polly, can I have a night with you?",
Slowly she cried, "you can if you wishes",
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-dero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

She went up the stairs for to do up her bedy,
She went up the stairs for to do up her bedy,
Slowly she cried, "come on, I am ready",
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-dero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

"Your room door is locked, love, and I can not enter",
"Your room door is locked, love, and I can not enter",
Slowly she cried, "come burst it asunder",
Right fal-a-daddle-ero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

He put his knee against it, and burst it asunder,
He put his knee against it, and burst it asunder,
Into the bed, this young girl she lay under,
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-dero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

"Your breeches is tied, love, and I can't undo them",
"Your breeches is tied, love, and I can't undo them",
Slowly she cried, "take a knife and run through them",
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-dero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

"I got no knife on me, sure, that's a great wonder",
"I got no knife on me, sure, that's a great wonder",
Slowly she cried, "I have two on the window",
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-dero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

"Your lamp has gone out, love, and I can not find it",
"Your lamp has gone out, love, and I can not find it",
Slowly she cried, "jump in bed and don't mind it",
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-dero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

They jumped into bed and it was thumble or bumble,
They jumped into bed and it was thumble or bumble,
That's what she got by her laying a-dumble,
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-dero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

The eighth month being over, Pretty Polly fell a-weeping,
The eighth month being over, Pretty Polly fell a-weeping,
That's what she got by her snoring and sleeping,
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-diddle-o-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

The ninth month being over, Pretty Polly fell asunder,
The ninth month being over, Pretty Polly fell asunder,
That's what she got by her night laying under,
Fal-a-dee-fal-a-dero-fal-a-dero-lye-dee.

Dorman Ralph learned the song from a man named Abraham Burton circa 1953-1954.

Variations of the tune have been used for several songs, from the top of my head:

The Knife in the Window / Pretty Polly / Crawling and Creeping (Roud No. 12590)
Hares on the Mountain / Blackbirds and Thrushes (Roud No. 329)
Down by the Glenside / The Bold Fenian Men (Roud No. 9266)
Bonnie Annie / The Green Banks of Yarrow (Child No. 24, Roud No. 172)

The original recording can be listened to here, the song starts at 36:50:
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/kgreels_can/183/

I also mirrored it on my Youtube folk channel:
https://youtu.be/WJlORhs9Wk8

I can also add the following short, beautiful text of "Blackbirds and Thrushes". It was sung by Charles O'Boyle (father of folk song collector Sean O'Boyle) of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Recorded by Sean O'Boyle and Peter Kennedy for the BBC on July 7, 1952.

Ach, if all the young ladies, was ducks on the water,
Ach, if all the young ladies, was ducks on the water,
Then all the young men they'd be all swimming after,
Right fal-de-lal-fol-deesel-dum-day

Ach, if all the young ladies, was blackbirds and thrushes,
Ach, if all the young ladies, was blackbirds and thrushes,
Then all the young men would go beating the bushes.
Right fal-de-lal-fol-deesel-dum-day

Ach, if all the young ladies, was rushes a-growing,
Ach, if all the young ladies, was rushes a-growing,
Then all the young men would go all a-mowing,
Right fal-de-lal-fol-deesel-dum-day

The website of the British Library Sound Archive changed completely since last time I visited it, sadly I'm unable to find the link to the original recording anymore.

I mirrored the recording on my Youtube folk channel so it can be listened to:
https://youtu.be/0KBFNKyYqRU

According to the BBC index (quoting from a mudcat post written by Jim Carroll) Charles O'Bolye was:
"Aged 74 and in failing health at time of recording; he died shortly after. Father of Sean O'Boyle, who worked as folk song collector for the BBC in Northern Ireland 1952-5. Charles inherited much of his singing from his mother, who was born in Donaghadee, Co. Down where there is a strong Scots tradition, but she lived most of her life in Belfast. He was a teacher, but from 1914-20 (interrupted by the war) he studied and worked in Cork with Hardebeck the musician and collector. He became secretary to Hardebeck who was blind, and made musical and Gaelic transcriptions and translations for him - his work is acknowledged by Hardebeck in the preface to Pt. III of Gems of Melody. One of his songs: 'Sweet William's Ghost', transcribed from the BBC recording, is printed in JEFDSS 1956.