Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
For lang I courted Jeannie, and wrought with might and main,
To get a puckle silver and a biggin’ o’ my ain;
Every night I gaed to see her, be it late or be it mirk;
And when she cam’ to meet me, I would kiss her in the dark.
The dark, the dark, the dark, the dark, the dark;
And when she cam’ to meet me, I would kiss her in the dark.
One night I gaed to see her, and my Jeannie bein’ frae home,
I slippit tae the window, and rattled at the pane;
Oot cam’ Jeannie’s motherr, and the night it bein’ sae dark,
I took her in my airms, and kissed her in the dark.
The dark, the dark, the dark, the dark, the dark;
I took her in my airms, and kissed her in the dark.
She ruggit and she tuggit, and she tried to run awa’
But I held her aye the closer, Ay, and gaed her another twa.
Then out she burst a-laughin’ Says, “This is an awful wark,
Tae touzle an auld body, and tae kiss her in the dark.”
The dark, the dark, the dark, the dark, the dark;
Tae touzle an auld body, and tae kiss her in the dark.”
Then I made for runnin’, But she held me sure and fast;
Says, “Ye needna be sae hurry, lad, the secret’s out at last.
Jeannie’s doon at Auntie’s, and she’ll get an awful start,
When I tell her how ye touzled me, and kissed me in the dark.”
The dark, the dark, the dark, the dark, the dark;
When I tell her how ye touzled me, and kissed me in the dark.”
I stopped wi’ Jeannie’s mother, till my Jeannie did come hame,
She tell’t her a’ the story, which I though an awful shame;
But noo I have gotten Jeannie, after a’ the coortin’ work;
And there’s few that lands sae lucky with their kissin’ in the dark.
The dark, the dark, the dark, the dark, the dark;
And there’s few that lands sae lucky with their kissin’ in the dark.
We hadna lang been married when Jeannie’s mother aye grew ill;
She sent me for a lawyer, she was going to make her will.
She has left me all her silver, and made many a remark;
For I got the auld wife’s blessin’ for the kissin’ in the dark.
The dark, the dark, the dark, the dark, the dark;
And there’s few that lands sae lucky wi’ their kissin’ in the dark.