Karan Casey - Martinmas Time lyrics

It fell out upon one Martinmas time When snow lay on the border There came a troop of soldiers here To take up their winter quarters And they road high and they rode north And they rode o'er the border And there they met with a nice, little girl She was a farmer's daughter Well, they made her swear a solemn oath A salt tear in her eye That she would come to the quarter gates When no one would her spy But she's gone to the barber's shop And to the barber's shop went soon She made them cut off her long, yellow hair As short as any dragoon And she's gone to the tailor's shop And dressed in soldier's clothes With two long pistols down by her side A nice, little boy was she And she's gone to the quarter gates And loudly she does call "There comes a troop of soldiers here We must have lodgings all" And the quartermaster, he comes down He gives her half a crown "Go find your lodgings in the town Tonight there is no room" So she moved closer to the gates And louder she does call "Room, room, you gentlemen We must have lodgings all" And the quartermaster, he comes down He gives her eighteen pence "Go find your lodgings in the town Tonight here comes a wench" So she took a pistol from her side She blew it loud and shrill "You're all very free with your eighteen pence You're not for a girl at all" And she took the garter from her knee The ribbon from her hair She tied them 'round the quarter gates A token she'd been there And when they found that it was her They tried to have her taken She slapped her spurs to her horse's side She galloped home a maiden