Hold thy way my bonny bairn
Hold thy way up on my arm
Hold thy way thou soon may learn
To say Dada so canny
I wish thy daddy may be well
He's long in coming from the keel
Though his black face be like the deil
I like a kiss from Johnny

Thou really has thy daddy's chin
Thou art like him leg and wing
And I with pleasure can thee sing
Since thou belongs my Johnny
Johnny is a clever lad
Last night he fuddled all he had
This morn he wasn't very bad
He looked as blithe as any

Though thou's the first thou's not the last
I mean to have my bairns fast
And when this happy time is past
I still will love my Johnny
For his hair's brown and so is thine
Thine eyes are grey and so are mine
Thy nose is tapered off so fine
Thou's like thy daddy Johnny

Thy canny down is fat and round
And like thy dad thou's plump and sound
Thou's worth to me a thousand pound
Thou's altogether bonny
When daddy's drunk he'll take his knife
And threaten sore to take my life
Who wouldn't be a keelman's wife
To have a man like Johnny

But yonder's daddy coming now
He looks the best among the crew
They're all going to the Barley Mow
To have a glass with Johnny
So let's go get the bacon fried
And let us make a clean fireside
Then on his knee he will thee ride
When he comes home to mammy Lyrics from a song in Public Domain