Oh, say, gentle maiden, may I be your lover?
Condemn me no longer to mourn and to weep.
Struck down like a hart I lie wounded and fainting,
Oh, let down your drawbridge, I'll enter your keep.
Enter your keep, nonny, nonny [or, nonie, nonie]
Horny old creep, nonny, nonny
He'd asked another, but the price was too steep.
Alas, gallant errant, I am not a maiden.
I'm married to Sir Oswald, that cunning old Celt.
He's gone to the wars for a twelve-month or longer,
And taken the key to my chastity belt.
Chastity belt, nonny, nonny
Cast iron and felt, nonny, nonny
She can't get out of her chastity belt.
Fear not, gentle lady, for I know a locksmith.
To his forge we will go, on his door we will knock.
And try to avail us of his specialized knowledge
To see if he's able to un-pick your lock.
Unpick your lock, nonny, nonny
Sounds like a crock, nonny, nonny
Will he be able to un-pick her lock?
Alas sir and madame, to help I'm unable.
My technical knowledge is of no avail.
I can't find the secret to your combination,
The cunning old basket has fitted a Yale.
Fitted a Yale, nonny, nonny
He'll get no tail, nonny, nonny
Senile old locksmith can't un-pick a Yale.
I'm back from the wars with bad news of disaster.
A terrible mishap I have to impart.
While my ship was a-passing the Straits of Gibralter
I overboard dropped the key, sad is my heart.
Sad is his heart, nonny, nonny
Clumsy old fart, nonny, nonny
He overboard dropped it, he's not very smart.
Alas and alack, I am locked up forever.
Then up spoke a page boy, saying, Leave this to me.
If you will allow me to enter your chamber,
I'll open it up with my duplicate key.
Duplicate key, nonny, nonny
It worked for he, nonny, nonny
Saturday nights with his duplicate key.
Condemn me no longer to mourn and to weep.
Struck down like a hart I lie wounded and fainting,
Oh, let down your drawbridge, I'll enter your keep.
Enter your keep, nonny, nonny [or, nonie, nonie]
Horny old creep, nonny, nonny
He'd asked another, but the price was too steep.
Alas, gallant errant, I am not a maiden.
I'm married to Sir Oswald, that cunning old Celt.
He's gone to the wars for a twelve-month or longer,
And taken the key to my chastity belt.
Chastity belt, nonny, nonny
Cast iron and felt, nonny, nonny
She can't get out of her chastity belt.
Fear not, gentle lady, for I know a locksmith.
To his forge we will go, on his door we will knock.
And try to avail us of his specialized knowledge
To see if he's able to un-pick your lock.
Unpick your lock, nonny, nonny
Sounds like a crock, nonny, nonny
Will he be able to un-pick her lock?
Alas sir and madame, to help I'm unable.
My technical knowledge is of no avail.
I can't find the secret to your combination,
The cunning old basket has fitted a Yale.
Fitted a Yale, nonny, nonny
He'll get no tail, nonny, nonny
Senile old locksmith can't un-pick a Yale.
I'm back from the wars with bad news of disaster.
A terrible mishap I have to impart.
While my ship was a-passing the Straits of Gibralter
I overboard dropped the key, sad is my heart.
Sad is his heart, nonny, nonny
Clumsy old fart, nonny, nonny
He overboard dropped it, he's not very smart.
Alas and alack, I am locked up forever.
Then up spoke a page boy, saying, Leave this to me.
If you will allow me to enter your chamber,
I'll open it up with my duplicate key.
Duplicate key, nonny, nonny
It worked for he, nonny, nonny
Saturday nights with his duplicate key.
Contributed by Bernart - 2013/10/8 - 09:38
×
![]()
Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
Canzone goliardica che probabilmente ebbe origine nelle accolite o nelle società rugbystiche universitarie di Cambridge o di Oxford. Si troverebbe pubblicata per la prima volta su di un numero del 1962 della rivista musicale inglese “Sing!”.
Io l’ho trovata inclusa in un EP datato 1963 dei Four For Fun, gruppetto di giovani musicisti costituito dai fratelli scozzesi Rory ed Alex McEwen, da Richard Dick Fariña e dalla sua compagna di allora, Carolyn Hester.
Testo trovato sul sempre ottimo Mudcat Café
Un’allegra canzoncina sul – potrebbe dirsi – meglio fare l’amore che fare la guerra, ma anche sul “quando il gatto non c’è [in questo caso il nobile Sir Oswald partito per la guerra] i topi [in questo caso lo straniero di passaggio ed infine il servo furbo] ballano”… non fosse per quella stupida cintura di castità imposta dal “cunning old Celt” alla sua bella sposa prima di andar per battaglie…
Ma c’è sempre un duplicato della chiave, anche se la serratura è una Yale…
E poi, quando mai lucchetti, laccetti e corsetti sono stati un ostacolo alle pulsazioni dell’ammore?