When I Was A Fair Maid Songtext
von Jackie Oates

When I was a fair maid about age sixteen
I wanted for to go and serve my country and my queen
I listed in the army a drummer boy to be
And they learned me to play upon the rum a dum a dee

With my big hat and feather
If you′d have only seen
You'd sworn from your very heart
A young man I′d have been
My waist being small and slender
My fingers thin and small
I could rattle up the drum a dee the best among them all

When I was in the guard room where ofttimes I had been
I never was afraid for to lie down with any man
When taking off my trousers
It often made me smile
For to think I was a soldier and a maiden all the while


With my big hat and feather
If you'd have only seen
You'd sworn from your very heart
A young man I′d have been
My waist being small and slender
My fingers thin and small
I could rattle up the drum a dee the best among them all

They sent me up to London
I was scarcely three days there
When a young maid fell in love with me
Because I was so fair
I told her I was a maiden
"A maiden," she replied
And she went and told my officer
My secret she destroyed

With my big hat and feather
If you′d have only seen
You'd sworn from your very heart
A young man I′d have been
My waist being small and slender
My fingers thin and small
I could rattle up the drum a dee the best among them all

The officer he sent for me to ask if it was true
I told him that it was, what else could I do
I told him that it was, he smiled and shook his head
"It's a pity for to lose you such a drummer boy you made"


With my big hat and feather
If you′d have only seen
You'd sworn from your very heart
A young man I′d have been
My waist being small and slender
My fingers thin and small
I could rattle up the drum a dee the best among them all

"So here is a pension, you have it from the king
And here is another one you have it from the queen
And if ever you should marry or ever have a son
You can send him to the army for to rattle up the drum"

With my big hat and feather
If you'd have only seen
You'd sworn from your very heart
A young man I′d have been
My waist being small and slender
My fingers thin and small
I could rattle up the drum a dee the best among them all