Mick,

I've been singing "Oyster Girl" for 18 years now, God help me, though both melody and words are different from those in SingsIrishsongs' link. My version was collected in 1971 from George Dunn, a singer from Staffordshire, England, and appears in "Songs of the Midlands" ed. Roy Palmer, which I suspect is now out of print. Phil Tanner the great singer from Gower, South Wales (whose repertoire was essentially English) also sang a version. I had thought the tune was pretty standard - if you sing the same tune I do, and pitch it in the key of G, the chords would be as follows (change chord on word after chord symbol):

As (G) I was a-walking down (D) fair London street

A (D) pretty little oyster girl I (G) chanced for to (D) meet

And (G) in to her basket so (C) nimbly I did (G) peep

For to (C) see if she (G) had any (D) oysters

Any help?

Brian

PS: Does shagging actually take place? I sing "we hadn't been inside the room for half an hour you see, before she'd picked my pocket and all of my money". I'd call that the early stages of foreplay......