The Cat and the Dog/The Raggle Taggle Gypsy (Debi Smith/trad.) I learned this when I was in the all woman group "The Hags." I loved Planxty's version, and decided to come up with my own, including my own short Irish "tune" ("The Cat and The Dog") at the start.
Lyrics
There were three yellow gypsies come to lower hall door
They came brave and bold-eo
And one sang high and the other sang low
And the lady sang the raggle taggle gypsy-o
It was upstairs downstairs the lady went
Put on her suit of leather-o
It was with a cry and a rattle of the door
She's away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o
It was late that night when the Lord came in
Enquiring for his lady-o
the servant girls replied to him, ohhh
"She's away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o"
“Up and saddle for me, me milk white steed
Me big horse is not speedy-o
Why we will ride and I seek me bride
She's away wi' the raggle taggle gypsy-o"
Now he rode East and he rode West
He rode North and South also
when he rode to the wide open field
It was there that he spied his lady-o
“Oh and why do you leave your house and your land?
Why do you leave your money-o?
Why do you leave your own wedded Lord
To go with the raggle taggle gypsy-o?”
“Oh and What do I care for me house and me land?
What care I for money-o?
What do I care for me only wedded Lord
I’m away with the raggle taggle gypsy-o”
“It was late last night in the goose feather bed
With blankets thrown so comely-o
tonight you lie in a wide open field
In the arms of a raggle taggle gypsy-o”
“Oh and what do I care for me goose feather bed
Wi' blankets thrown so comely-o?
Tonight I lie in a wide open field
In the arms of my raggle taggle gypsy-o”
“Oh and You road east when I rode west
You rode high when I rode low
I’d rather have a kiss from the yellow gypsy’s lips
Than the whole of your lands and your money-o”