A Kiss In The Morning Early

(Trad / Arrgt: Christophe GOUDOT)

‘Twas early one morning a fair maid arose
And dressed herself up in the finest of clothes
And off to the shoemaker’s shop sure she goes
For the kiss in the morning early

The cobbler arose and he soon let her in
His awl and his hammer were neat as a pin
And he had the will for to greet her so slim
With a kiss in the morning early

O Cobbler, o cobbler, ’tis soon we’ll be wed
And nestling together in a fine feather bed
So give me two shoes with two buckles of red
For my kiss in the morning early

The maid hid the shoes at the back of her waist
She praised his good cobbling and shoemaker’s taste
And home to her father she mournfully faced
And it was in the morning early

O Father, o Father, I’ve got me a man
And he is the one I would wed if I can
As handsome as ever in leather did stand
For my kiss in the morning early

So the father was thinking and thinking again
For to wed her to riches and have him for kin
Who knows but it might be a prince or a king
That she met in the morning early

Who knows but it might be a jobber from town
Or a wealthy sea captain who’s sailed the world round
A man with some thousands and thousands of pounds
That she met in the morning early

So the father was smiling, his daughter embraced
And touching the buckles he drew back in haste
He spied the red shoes that were tied round her waist
Oh it was in the morning early

O daughter, o daughter, he started to shout
When he did discover what she was about
God knows ’twas none but that old cobbling clout
That you met in the morning early »

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A Kiss In The Morning Early - 3'35

A propos

Chanson apprise en 1979 du guitariste et chanteur irlandais Mick HANLY au cours d’une soirée « bœuf » à la Guinness (non ce n’est pas une recette de cuisine !) chez le piper Paddy KEENAN. Comme de très nombreuses autres, elle raconte l’histoire de la fille d’un cordonnier, amoureuse d’un jeune garçon. Le père s’imagine d’abord qu’il doit s’agir d’un riche capitaine, voire d’un prince ou même d’un roi… La réalité ne va pas lui plaire.

La première rencontre avec Mick Hanly fut un de mes grands moments de solitude.  Lors d’un « repas » chez Paddy Keenan, il me prêta sa guitare (une superbe Guild des grandes années) et la première chose que je fis fut… de lui casser une corde, dont personne dans l’assistance n’avait la petite soeur de remplacement. Pour moi qui avais ses disques à la maison, ça commençait plutôt mal et j’étais plutôt honteux. Mais son talent n’a d’égal que sa gentillesse et la Guinness a de ces vertus magiques qui scellent les amitiés.