The Jolly Beggarman Lyrics
Cherish the Ladies with Liam Clancy & Arlo GuthrieMusic Video
The Jolly Beggarman Lyrics
It's of a jolly beggarman came tripping o'er the plain
He came unto a farmer's door a lodging for to gain
The farmer's daughter, she came down and viewed him cheek and chin
She said, "He is a handsome man, I pray you take him in"
We'll go no more a-roving
A-roving in the night
We'll go no more a-roving
Let the moon shine out so bright
We'll go no more a-roving
He would no lie within the barn nor yet within the byre
But he would in the corner lie down by the kitchen fire
Oh then the beggar's bed was made of good clean sheets and hay
And down beside the kitchen fire the jolly beggar lay
We'll go no more a-roving
A-roving in the night
We'll go no more a-roving
Let the moon shine out so bright
We'll go no more a-roving
The farmer's daughter, she got up to bolt the kitchen door
And there she saw the beggar standing naked on the floor
He took the daughter in his hands and to the bed he ran
"Kind sir," she says, "Be easy now, you'll waken our good man"
We'll go no more a-roving
A-roving in the night
We'll go no more a-roving
Let the moon shine out so bright
We'll go no more a-roving
"Now you are no beggar, you are some gentleman
For you did steal my maidenhead, and I am quite undone"
"I am no lord, I am no squire, of beggars I be one
And beggars, they be robbers all, so you are quite undone"
We'll go no more a-roving
A-roving in the night
We'll go no more a-roving
Let the moon shine out so bright
We'll go no more a-roving
We'll go no more a-roving
A-roving in the night
We'll go no more a-roving
Let the moon shine out so bright
We'll go no more a-roving
Song Details
✍️ Songwriter: Traditional
The song is centuries old and appears in the Child Ballads and Roud Folk Song Index, with no known single author. It is often associated with James V of Scotland, who was said to travel in disguise as a beggar — but this is folklore, not confirmed authorship.
📝 Song Brief:
A lively traditional ballad about a wandering beggar who charms his way into a household and wins the favour of a young woman. Blending humour, mischief, and quick storytelling, the song follows the beggar’s bold advances and the playful back‑and‑forth that unfolds.
- byre: A farm building used to house cattle; a cowshed.
- maidenhead: An old term meaning a woman’s virginity or chastity; used in many traditional ballads.
- undone: An old expression meaning overwhelmed, flustered, or thrown off balance. In traditional songs it often suggests that someone has lost their composure or is emotionally unsettled, usually in a light or humorous way rather than in real distress.
🍀 Genre: Traditional Folk Ballad / Comic Courtship Ballad
👥 Covers: Liam clancy (featured), Planxty, Gearoid McCarthy, Mad Dog McCrea, Gaelic Storm, Rapalje.
🎤 Featured Artists: Cherish the Ladies with Liam Clancy and Arlo Guthrie
💿 Album: The Girls Won't Leave the Boys Alone
Recorded: November 1998–August 2000
Released: April 17, 2001
Format: CD
Label: Windham Hill
