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PARSON BROWN (JOHN DAWSON)

 

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
PARSON BROWN
WAS DISCOVERED IN THE WELL
DEAD AS HELL

WELL, WELL, WELL
WHAT BEFELL
DEAR OLD KINDLY PARSON BROWN
AND BROUGHT HIM DOWN

NOW EVERYBODY SAID HE WAS RIGHTEOUS
AND EVERYBODY LOVED HIM ONE COULD TELL
EVERYONE THAT IS, I GUESS, EXCEPT THE PERSON
THAT PUT PARSON BROWN IN THE WELL

MY, MY, MY
NOW WHO CAN FLY
AND WHO WILL TELL US HOW TO BE
WITHOUT HE

'CAUSE DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
PARSON BROWN
WAS DISCOVERED IN THE WELL
DEAD AS HELL



PARSON BROWN'S SHEEP

William Pratt, Printer, 82, Digbeth, Birmingham, ca. 1850


Not long ago in our town
A little place of great renown
There lived a man named Mr. Brown
And he was our parson
Father he was very poor
Christmas it was very near
We'd neither mutton, beef nor beer
For our Christmas dinner

SPOKEN: They were very hard times for poor folks! Faider had lost his work
cause he was getting old and couldn't do much; so I went to Parson Brown
and asked him for some broken wittles; but he wouldn't gi' me ony
but sot the dog at me, and sent me beeak broken hearted
When I came beeak, who should there be [but] faider wi' one o' Parson Brown's fat wether sheep
There, said the old man, that's the first time I ever robbed in my life; but they won't let me work
and I can't starve. Egad! I was nation pleased to see the old sheep
I ran and kissed mother, father, and the old sheep and all, and ran up and down, singing

CHORUS: Faider stole the parson's sheep
And we shall have both pudding and meat
And a merry Christmas we shall keep
But I mayn't say aught about it

I sung up and down the street all day
Parson heard what I did say
And asked me in a civil way
If I'd sing it o'er again, sir
Says he, I'll gi' thee half-a-crown
A suit of clothes and money down
If to church you'll go alone
And sing it to the people

SPOKEN: Egad! Then, I said, I will
He gave me a bran new suit of clothes and half-a-crown
I ran home and told mother what parson had given me to go to church and sing

Faider stole the parson's sheep, &c

My mother thought as I was mad
Says she, what ever ails the lad?
You know they'll surely hang your dad
If you say aught about it
Says I, then, mother, I'll tell thee
What I will do as sure as can be
I'll [tell] the folks what I did see
The parson doing to Molly

SPOKEN: I said, I'm dang'd if I doan't, mother. Well she said
Do lad, but don't thee say a word about the old sheep
if thee do, they'll hang thee and thy faider too. No, I said, I woan't then
So off I went, in all my bran new clothes
I'm sure I never looked so fine in all my life afore. I was as pleased as a cat with a pepper-box
I goes clink-o-me-clink, clink-o-me-clink, right up to the parson
He began to tell the folk what I had come for
Now, he says, I hope you'll hearken attentively to what this lad be about to sing
for it is a most notorious and outrageous crime as ever was committed
and ought to be severely punished, and every word he says is as true
as the gospel I am now preaching
Then he swelled himself up like a turkey-cock, blew his nose, and told me to begin
Then I began singing

As I was in the field one day
I saw our parson very gay
Romping Molly on the hay
And turn her upside down, sir
And for fear it shouldn't be known
A suit of clothes and half-a-crown
Were all given me by Mr. Brown
For I to come and tell about it

SPOKEN: He! He! He! I thought parson would have gone ramping mad
He stamped and swore it was the biggest lie that ever was told
but the folks wouldn't believe him. They all run out of church and cried shame of parson
He sent a big book at me, but it hit an old lady on the head
Down she went and parson plump on top of her
I ran off, singing

CHORUS: I have done old Parson Brown
Of a suit of clothes and half-a-crown
For telling all the folk around
What he had done to Molly