In Manchester, that city of cotton twist and twills,
There lived the subject of my song, the cause of all my ills.
She was handsome, young and twenty, her eyes were azure blue
Admirers she had plenty: her name was Dorothy Drew.
She was very fond of dancing, but allow me to remark
That one fine day she danced away with the calico printer's clerk.
At a private ball I met her in eighteen sixty-three;
I never will forget her, though she was unkind to me.
I was dressed in the pink of fashion, my lavender gloves were new,
And we danced the Valse Circa**ian, with charming Dorothy Drew.
She was very fond of dancing, but allow me to remark
That one fine day she danced away with the calico printer's clerk.
We schottisched and we polkad to the strains the band did play;
We waltzed and we mazurkad till she waltzed my heart away.
I whispered in this manner, as around the room we flew
And doing the Varsovianna, that: "I love you Dorothy Drew."
She was very fond of dancing, but allow me to remark
That one fine day she danced away with the calico printer's clerk.
For months and months, attention unto her I did pay
Till, with her condescension, she led me quite astray.
The money I expended, I'm ashamed to tell to you
I'll inform you how it ended with myself and Dorothy Drew.
She was very fond of dancing, but allow me to remark
That one fine day she danced away with the calico printer's clerk.
I received an intimation she a visit meant to pay
Unto some dear relations who lived some miles away.
In a month she'd be returning, I must bid a short adieu
But her love for me was burning, deceitful Dorothy Drew.
She was very fond of dancing, but allow me to remark
That one fine day she danced away with the calico printer's clerk.
At nine o'clock next morning to breakfast I sat down
The smile my face adorning it soon changed to a frown.
For in the morning papers, a paragraph met my view
That Jones, the calico printer's clerk, had married Dorothy Drew.
She was very fond of dancing, but allow me to remark
That one fine day she danced away with the calico printer's clerk.