AKA | Jean McNeil |
First Published | 1906 |
Writer/composer | Harry Lauder and Alex Melville | Roud | RN43172 |
Music Hall Performers | Harry Lauder |
Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: see notes below |
Jean M'Neil Words from sheet music published in 1907 in Aberdeen People's Journal I'm the happiest man alive - Fal th' doodle I do! As sure as four and four are five. Fal th' doodle I do! I canna tell ye hoo I feel. I feel as I could dance a reel. I'm gaun tae get married to Jean M'Neil. Fal th' doodle I do! Jean M'Neil's in love wi' me. I'm as happy as I can be. Hoo would ye like if you were me? Fal th' doodle I do! [twice,1st time p, 2nd time f] She is bonnier by a mile - Fal th' doodle I do! Than the Duchess o' Argyll - Fal th' doodle I do! She is just a pairfect queen; She is the nices' ever seen; An' her eyes are black and blue and green - Fal th' doodle I do! Jean's a lassie that likes a squeeze - Fal th' doodle I do! Just a bonnie wee nice wee squeeze- Fal th' doodle I do! And when the kissin' comes it's great! She clings tae me in such a state It's just like a cat gun roon' a plate- Fal th' doodle I do! Jean is fair an' Jean is fat - Fal th' doodle I do! She wears her hair below her hat - Fal th' doodle I do! Ah meet her every nicht, I do! And kiss her on the the kisser too!. I wish that my lassie was here the noo - Fal th' doodle I do!
Fragments of this of Harry Lauder song appear in the comic song The Braes of Killiecrankie, as sung by the influential Scottish traveller singer Jeannie Robertson.
A 1911 recording:
Sources:
- Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A43172
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- British Newspaper Archive
- Lyrics and sheet music as published in Aberdeen People’s Journal – Saturday 23 November 1907, p5
- Mudcat Thread
- Worldcat entry
Last Updated on December 19, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: June 20, 2023