Origins: Six Sweethearts / Six Girls

Subject: Origins: six sweethearts
From: GUEST
Date: 03 May 04 - 10:10 AM

Subject: Lyr Add: SIX SWEETHEARTS (from Sam Henry)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 May 04 - 01:04 PM

Not sure what you want. Here are the lyrics from Sam Henry.

SIX SWEETHEARTS

I've had a grand experience I'm going to tell you now,
By courting six girls all at once; they served me anyhow.
My mother said, "You're wicked." I laughed at her advice,
She said that I was naughty, but I was very nice.

So I fell in love with Mary Ann and then with Mary Jane,
And then with pretty Miss M'Cann and then with Kate M'Clean,
And then with Betty Hopsican and then with Nellie Small,
I stayed at home on Sunday night for fear I'd meet them all.

But oh dear me, I mixed their names, and at the garden gate
I bid good-night to Betty, but I called her darling Kate.
I wrote a note to Nellie, but I called her Mary Jane,
And then, to make the matter worse, addressed it 'Kate M'Clean.'

I never will forget the day I met the blessed six,
Mary Ann says, "You will pay for all your little tricks,'
And then she caught me by the hair, and Mary Jane my coat,
And Miss M'Cann brought some young man who caught me by the throat.

Mary Jane she clawed my face until it ran with blood,
And as for Betty Hopsican, she smothered me with mud.
And then to make the thing complete, sure, pretty Nellie Small
Bashed my hat till it was flat against the garden wall.

I tossed about in bed that night, I had such dreadful dreams,
I dreamt they were pursuing me with horrid scraighs and screams,
I dreamt they punched me black and blue and stuck me full of pins,
I dreamt they put on big nailed boots and kicked me on the shins,
I dreamt they roasted me alive and I was quite a-hot,
I dreamt that I became a Turk and married all the lot.

Notes- Lines 5 and 6 of the last verse are to be sung to lines 3 and 4 of the air. Music given, key D, 2/4. Other title: 'Six Girls.'   
Source not given. "Sam Henry's Songs of the People," p. 340, original reference 6 July 1935 H605.

I remember this or a similar song or story from school days, so it is known in some form in the States.

Subject: RE: Origins: six sweethearts
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 May 04 - 01:10 PM

Listed in the Traditional Ballad Index (Ireland) and Roud 2704; only the Sam Henry reference. Author listed as unknown.

Subject: RE: Origins: Six Girls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Aug 25 - 04:03 PM

Here's the listing from the Traditional Ballad Index:

Six Sweethearts, The

DESCRIPTION: The singer recalls courting "six girls all at once." He enjoys it greatly until he starts to forget the girls' names. The girls unite to pay him back. He dreams of what else they might do -- and of being a Turk and marrying all of them
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1935 (Sam Henry collection)
KEYWORDS: courting betrayal dream
FOUND IN: Ireland Canada(Mar)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H605, p. 340, "The Six Sweethearts" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs, p. 128, "Six Girls" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #2704
File: HHH605

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Subject: RE: Origins: Six Sweethearts / Six Girls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Aug 25 - 04:38 PM

SIX GIRLS

Once I was a lady’s charmer but I’m unhappy now,
For courting six girls all at once to serve me anyhow.
Ma said that it was wicked but I laughed at her advice,
I knew it was very naughty but also very nice.

First I fell in love with Mary Ann and then with Mary Jane,
And then with lovely Miss McKay and then with Kitty Pane,
And then with Betty Hopkins and then with Nellie Small,
And I can say I found a way to hug and kiss them all.

This lasted for a week or two, I thought it perfect bliss.
And every night I went to town I had fresh lips to kiss,
I thought it would last forever, I never would be sold,
I was so very clever, and the charmers that I told.

Then, oh dear me, their names got mixed and at the garden gate
I said good-night to Nellie and I called her darling Kate,
I wrote a note to Mary Ann and called her Mary Jane,
And then to make a matter worse I addressed it to Kitty Pane,

I never shall forget the night I met those blessed six.
My darling said,"Now you must pay for all your naughty tricks,"
So Mary Ann she tore my hair and Mary Jane my coat,
And Miss McKay brought a young man who took me by the throat.

And as for Betty Hopkins, she smothered me with mud,
She banged my head till it was flat against the garden wall,

So Monday I left Mary Ann, on Tuesday Mary Jane,
And Wednesday lovely Miss McKay and Thursday Kitty Pane,
On Friday Betty Hopkins, on Saturday Nellie Small,
So that’s the reason why I'm left without a girl at all.

Sung by Mr. Clarence Thompson, Springhill, and recorded by
Helen Creighton July 1955.

Source: Maritime Folk Songs, by Helen Creighton, 1979, page 128

https://archives.novascotia.ca/creighton/audio/?Search=5772&t=00:09:54

https://archives.novascotia.ca/pdf/creighton/Mf289-616.pdf

Subject: RE: Origins: Six Sweethearts / Six Girls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Aug 25 - 04:57 PM

Thread #112560   Message #2394004
Posted By: GUEST,Ralphie
21-Jul-08 - 06:53 AM
Thread Name: The Nice But Dim Knight
Subject: ADD: The Six Sweethearts

THE SIX SWEETHEARTS (Irish)

I've had a grand experience, I'm going to tell you now
By courting six girls all at once, they served me anyhow
My mother said "You're wicked", I laughed at her advice
She said I was naughty, but, I was very nice

So I fell in love with Mary Anne, and then with Mary Jane
And then with pretty Miss McCann, and then with Kate McClean
And then with Betty Hopsican, and then with Nellie Small
There were plenty of others, but, by this stage, I was knackered.