The Fair Maid of Islington / Under the Greenwood Tree Songtext
von June Tabor

There was a fair maid of Islington, as I′ve heard many tell
And she was going to London town, her pears and apples to sell
As she was going along the road, a vintner did her espy
"What shall I give, fair maid," says he, "one night with you to lie?"
"Oh, what shall I give, fair maid,
" Says he, "one night with you to lie?"

"If you would lay with me one night, you must give to me five pounds."
"A match, a match," the vintner said, "so let this go round."
When he had lain with her all night, her money she did crave
"No, oh no," the vintner says, "the Devil a penny you'll have!"
"No, oh no," the vintner says, "the Devil a penny you′ll have!"


This maid she made no more ado, but to the justice went
"This vintner hired a cellar of me and he will not pay the rent."
So straight the justice for him sent and asked him the reason why
That he would pay the maid no rent, to which he did reply

"Although I hired a cellar of her and the possession was mine
I never put anything into it, but one small pipe of wine."
This maid she being ripe of wit, she straight replied again
"There lay two butts at the cellar door, why didn't you roll them in?"
"There lay two butts at the cellar door, why didn't you roll them in?"

The justice told the vintner plain, if he a tenant be
He must expect to pay the rent, he could not sit rent-free
And when the maid her money got, she put it all in her purse
And clapped her hand on the cellar door and said it was none the worse
She clapped her hand on the cellar door and said it was none the worse