Baring-Gould heard this sung by Louisa Williams in West Devon. She had only portions of the verses, and the tune that she sang it to was Bobbing Joan. Baring-Gould completed the ballad from the set in the Roxburghe Collection of ballads. Here and elsewhere it is known as Diddle, Diddle or The Kind Country Lovers and has a number of ‘diddles’ scattered liberally throughout the verses. Louisa Williams clearly believed life was too short for that many diddles and, in any case, we cannot see how they would have fitted this tune. There is another song, My Dog and I which shares some of the verses but is extremely rude and confirms, as Steve Harrison suggested to us, that ‘Dog’ was slang for the male member in the 17^th Century.

 

Lavender's green and lavender's blue

You must love me 'cause I love you

I heard one say since I came hither

That you and I must wed together

My master's maid her name it was Nell

She was a lass that I loved well

And if she die by some mishap

Then she shall lie beneath the tap

    Beneath the tap, then she shall lie

    Beneath the tap, beneath the tap

 

That she may drink when she is dry

Because she loved my dog and I

Call up your maids, set them to work

Some to make hay, some to the rock

Some to make hay, some to the corn

Whilst you and I keep the bed warm

Let the birds sing and let the lambs play

We shall be safe, out of harm's way

    Out of harm's way, we shall be safe

    Out of harm's way, out of harm's way

 

James at the George, Sue at the Swan

He loves the maid, she loves the man

But if it chance that they be found

Catch 'em in the corn, put 'em in the pound

I heard a bird sing in mine ear

Maids will be scarce the next New Year

For young men are so wanton grown

That they ne'er mind which is their own

    Which is their own, that they ne'er mind

    Which is their own, which is their own

 

Down in a vale where flowers grow

And sweet birds sing all in a row

A brisk young man met with a maid

And sat her down beneath the shade

Where they did play at kiss and court

Like lambs in May and make fine sport

There lives a maiden on the green

That sells good ale, think what I mean

    Think what I mean, that sells good ale

    Think what I mean, think what I mean

 

I will be kind until I die

Then prithee love my dog and I

For thee and I know we are one

And we will lie no more alone

Lavender's green and lavender's blue

You must love me 'cause I love you

I heard one say since I came hither

That you and I must wed together

    Must wed together, that you and I

    Must wed together, must wed together