“As I Walked Forth in the Pride of the Season”

Description

A man promises to marry a maid he meets. He says he is poor and her "low degree" is no cause for concern. They kiss and fall asleep. When he wakes he finds her not a virgin and says they'll never marry.

Supplemental text

As I Walked Forth in the Pride of the Season
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

As I Walked Forth in the Pride of the Season
(The False Young Man)

From Kenneth Peacock, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, Volume II,
pp. 422-423. Sung by Mrs. Freeman Bennett, St. Paul's, August 1958.

As I walked forth in the pride of the season
Thinking some pastime there for to see,
Who should I spy but a lovely fair damsel
Sitting all alone under a shady green tree.

(8 additional stanzas)

Notes

[Despite Peacock's subtitle "The False Young Man," this is] not "The False Young Man (The Rose in the Garden, As I Walked Out)." - BS

Peacock's final stanza is the floating "ripest of apples" lyric; it's not clear which of the several songs which include the verse is the source. - RBW

References

  1. Peacock, pp. 422-423, "As I Walked Forth in the Pride of the Season" (1 text, 1 tune)
  2. ST Pea422 (Partial)
  3. Roud #9785
  4. BI, Pea422

About

Alternate titles: “The False Young Man”
Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1958 (Peacock)
Found in: Canada(Newf)