Bungle Rye

As I went a-walking a fair London Street,
A fair pretty maiden I chanced for to meet.
‘My fair, pretty maiden, what have you get there?’
‘It’s the best of strong liquor that came from the fair.’
Raddy fal diddle ee fall da derro i dee.

Oh twenty bright shillings, Jack soon counted down,
He then took the basket and staggered along.
He staggered along till he came to our ship,
‘Come all brother sailors, we’ll all have a tip.’
Raddy fal diddle ee fall da derro i dee.

To open the basket was Jack’s next intent,
To open the basket he’s fully intent.
He opened the basket, he heard a child cry,
Dressed up in the basket was John Bungle Rye.
Raddy fal diddle ee fall da derro i dee.

Our shipmates they shouted, they rant and they roared,
They never saw a baby in a basket before.
Saying, ‘Long as I bought him, I’m going to try,
To make a young man out of John Bungle Rye.’
Raddy fal diddle ee fall da derro i dee.

To get the boy christened was Jack’s next intent,
To get the boy christened he’s fully intent.
He went to the preacher, saying, ‘Christen my boy!’
Saying, ‘What is the name?’; Jack said, ‘John Bungle Rye.’
Raddy fal diddle ee fall da derro i dee.

‘Well right!’ said the preacher, ‘Well that’s a queer name.’
‘By japers,’ said Jack, ‘it’s the quare way he came.’
Saying, ‘Long as I bought him, I’m going to try,
To make a young man out of John Bungle Rye.’
Raddy fal diddle ee fall da derro i dee.

Come all ye young men that walks London Street,
Beware of those damsels you chance for to meet.
First they will court you and then they will try,
To make you the daddy of John Bungle Rye.
Raddy fal diddle ee fall da derro i dee.

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Editor’s note: In many versions of this song, the phrase ‘Bung yer eye’ appears instead of ‘Bungle Rye.’ Indeed, Kenneth Peacock includes this song in Songs of the Newfoundland Outports 3 under the title ‘Young Bung-‘er’eye,’ noting that ‘bung-yer-eye’ is an old sailing term for strong rum or hard liquor (1965:895–6).