Young girl's down to the market,
Fresh fish for to buy;
Her young squire he followed her down
That night with her be nigh,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
"Oh how can I get in your chamber love?
Tell me how could I get in your bed?
When your father he locks your door at night
The keys lie under his head."
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day
"Go get you a ladder thirty foot,
Thirty foot and three,
And you climb up to the chimney top
Come down in the creel to me."
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Now this young fellow he had two brothers,
Brothers bold were they,
And the three of them got them a long long ladder,
It was thirty foot and three,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Yes they got them a ladder was thirty foot,
It was thirty foot and three,
And the three of them climbed to the chimney top
And down in the creel came he,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day
Now the old couple woke in the middle of the night
With something that was said,
"Oh I swear to my life," says the old, old wife,
"There's a man in my daughter's bed."
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
So the old fellow rose in the middle of the night
For to see if it was true,
And she grabbed her darling round his neck
And under the cover he flew,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
"Oh what do you do my daughter dear?
Oh daughter tell me do."
"Oh I'm here with a bible in my hand,
I'm praying for just you two."
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day
No sleep, no sleep could the old couple get
For the thoughts that run in their head,
"Oh I swear to my life," says the old old wife,
"There's a man in my daughter's bed."
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
"Oh get up get up you silly old fool,
Go and see if it be true!"
"You're a fool yourself, you can get up yourself
And the devil may go with you!"
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day
So the two of them rose in the middle of the night
And up to the roof went they,
But they tripped up on the chimney pot
And into the creel fell they,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day
Now the boys they were up at the chimney top
And they thought the creel was full,
So they put their shoulders to the rope
And up the creel they drew,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day
"Oh help help husband dear,
Oh husband help me do!
For the devil that you have wished me to
I fear he's got me now."
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
And then they rocked them up and they rocked them down,
They give them the good down-haul,
Till every bone in their two sides
Went tolly-rigadoo down the hall,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day
Oh the broom the bonny broom
And may the broom do well,
And may every old couple who do do so
Go rock in the creel to hell,
Rigadoo, tum lum lay rigadoo
Tum lum lay rigadoo-a-diddle-day
Tolly-rigadoo te-dum-day