May we come in red?
Red is for soldiers, you can"t come in red.
May we come in blue?
Blue is for sailors, you can"t come in blue.
May we come in white?
White is for weddings, you can"t come in white.
May we come in black?
Black is for funerals, so you can come in that.
-Bocking, Ess.e.x (_Folk-lore Record_, iii. 471).
X. I come to see poor Jenny Joe, Jenny Joe, Jenny Joe, I come to see poor Jenny Joe, And how is she now?
She"s washing, she"s washing, And you can"t see her now.
Very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, Very well, ladies, and gentlemen too.
I come to see poor Jenny Joe, Jenny Joe, Jenny Joe, I come to see poor Jenny Joe, And how is she now?
She"s folding, she"s folding, And you can"t see her now.
Very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, Very well, ladies, and gentlemen too.
I come to see poor Jenny Joe, Jenny Joe, Jenny Joe, I come to see poor Jenny Joe, And how is she now?
She"s ironing, she"s ironing, And you can"t see her now.
Very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, Very well, ladies, and gentlemen too.
[Then follow alternate questions and answers in the same manner for-
(1) dying, (2) dead.
Then-]
I come in my white dress, white dress, white dress, I come in my white dress, and how will that do?
White is for wedding, wedding, wedding, White is for wedding, and that won"t do.
Very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, Very well, ladies, and gentlemen too.
I come in my blue dress, blue dress, blue dress, I come in my blue dress, and how will that do?
Blue is for sailors, sailors, sailors, Blue is for sailors, and that won"t do.
[Then follow verses as before, beginning-
Very well, ladies.
I come in my red dress.
Red is for soldiers, Very well, ladies.
Then-]
I come in my black dress, black dress, black dress, I come in my black dress, and how will that do?
Black is for funeral, And that will do To carry poor Jenny to the grave.
-Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews).
XI. We"re come to see Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones, Jenny Jones, Come to see Jenny Jones, how is she now?
Jenny is a-washing, a-washing, a-washing, Jenny is a-washing, you can"t see her now.
Very well, ladies, very well, ladies, Very well, ladies, we can"t see her now.
[Then follow the same verses for-
(1) ironing, (2) badly, (3) dead;
And the singing proceeds with-]
Please, will white do, white do, white do?
Please, will white do, please, will it do?
White"s for the weddingers, the weddingers, White"s for the weddingers, that won"t do.
Please, will blue do, blue do, blue do?
Please, will blue do, please will it do?
[Then follow verses as before, beginning-
Blue"s for the sailors, the sailors, the sailors.
Please, will red do, red do?
Red"s for the soldiers.
Then-]
Please, will black do, black do, black do?
Black"s for the funeral, black will do.
-Northamptonshire (Rev. W. D. Sweeting).
XII. I"ve come to see how Jenny Jones is to-day.
You can"t see her, she"s washing.
I"ve come to see how Jenny Jones is to-day.
You can"t see her, she"s ironing [she"s starching, she"s brewing, she"s baking, _successively_].