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Annotation:Trooper and the Maid (The)
X:1 T:Trooper and the Maid, The M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Polka K:G D|G2GA|Bd de/f/|gB B/A/G/A/|BA AB|G2GA|Bd de/f/|gB AB/A/|G3:| |: c|Bd ga/g/|fe e/f/g/e/|dB AG/A/|BA AG/A/|Bd ga/g/|fe e/f/g/e/|dB AG/A/|B G G:|
TROOPER AND THE MAID, THE. AKA and see "Knocknaboul Polka (1)." Irish, Polka (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. "The Trooper and the Maid" is a widespread folksong known throughout Ireland, Scotland and England, sometimes called "The Bold/Light Dragoon", also collected in North America. There are numerous versions of the words and many tunes have been used as the vehicle for the song, including this Munster polka. A representative lyric, from the singing of Jimmy McBeath, begins:
A trooper lad come here last nicht,
An, oh, but he wis weary.
A trooper lad come here last nicht,
When the moon shine bright on clearly.
Chorus (after each verse):
Bonny lassie, I lie near ye yet,
Bonny lassie, I lie near ye,
An ah'll gar aa yer ribbons reel
On the morning or ah leave ye.
An inclusive survey of the song can be found at the Mainly Norfolk site [1].
