“Old Betty Larkin (Betsy Larkin, You Stole My Pard, Steal Partners, Stole My Partner)”
Description
"Hop around, skip around, old Betty Larkin (x3), and also my dear darlin.'" "Steal, steal, old Betty Larkin...." ""You take mine, and I'll take another...." "Needles in a haystack, old Betty Larkin."
Notes
Randolph's is only a two-stanza fragment: "You stole my pard to my dislike (x3), And also my dear darlin'." "I'll have her back or fight all night (x3), And also my dear darlin'." It may be a separate piece (Roud separates them). But that key line about the "dear darlin'" seems to me to link his text with the Ritchie Family "Betty Larkin" texts. - RBW
References
- Ritchie-Southern, p. 15, "Old Betty Larkin" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Randolph 586, "You Stole My Pard" (1 fragment)
- Roud #7404; also 7673
- BI, R586