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ROCKING THE CRADLE; OR, HUSHY-BA.
I Am an old man of three score and ten,
am rocking the cradle and making my moan,
I am an old man, I am three score and ten,
I am rocking the cradle that’s none of my own.
CHORUS.
Which makes me sing hushy-ba, nothing to me,
and gars me say hushy-ba, Bastard, ly still,
Tho' I'm not your daddie, my wife is your minnie,
waes me! for she's taking too much of her will.
I'm old and I'm crazie, but might have liv'd easy,
but nothing would please me but the young and the fair
I'm old and I'm crazie, I might have liv'd easy,
but Cupid leads captive the boldest in war.
To balls and to plays she always goes foremost,
she's always going foremost and carries the gree.
To all sorts of balls she's still going foremost,
she's ay seeking something I canna well gi'e.
It's none of my own that lies in the cradle,
which makes me sing to it so mournfully,
There's two & two at the sea, two & two like to die,
two lie in the cradle and two on my knee.
You impudent rogue, replied the mother,
so little yon think that I have to do,
I'm knitting your stockings, and washing your linens,
I'm rocking your cradle, and spinning your tow.
