| AKA | Sweet Katie Connor |
| First Published | 1890 |
| Writer/composer | Harry Dacre | Roud | RN37299 |
| Music Hall Performers | Pat Rafferty |
| Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Alice Kane recalled singing this song as a child in Ulster in the early 20th century |
On my honour, Katie Connor is the nicest girl you’ll meet I dote on her, I’m a goner, she’s just nice enough to eat Near the water, I first caught her in a little fishing town But just lately she’s turned stately, and my brain’s turned upside down Sweet Katie Connor, I dote upon her Kate, Kate, as sure as fate, you’ll have to marry me Or else I have a notion, of diving in the ocean And mashing all the mermaids at the bottom of the sea. When she’s colder, I have told her how the mermaids long for me How they’ve blessed me and caressed me when I’ve bathed in open sea She cries “Oh dear, you can go dear, to your mermaids straight away” Snaps her fingers, yet she lingers long enough to hear me say. Sweet Katie Connor, I dote upon her Kate, Kate, as sure as fate, you’ll have to marry me Or else I have a notion, of diving in the ocean And mashing all the mermaids at the bottom of the sea. Then we parted, then I started for the mighty ocean’s brink Kate looked squeamy, she could see me take a brick to make me sink Near the water, she bethought her “Jack“ she cried; said I “Too late” “Jack, my jewel, don’t be cruel; come back, Jack, and marry Kate!” Sweet Katie Connor, I dote upon her Kate, Kate, as sure as fate, is going to marry me So now I have no notion, of diving in the ocean Or mashing scaly mermaids at the bottom of the sea.
A song written by Harry Dacre who is perhaps best remembered today for the song Daisy Bell (A bicycle built for two). Dacre was in fact a relatively prolific songwriter and this was a big hit for Pat Rafferty the British halls of the 1890s. It was advertised as a “successor” to Little Annie Rooney, another Irish flavoured love song which was a hit in 1889. It was commonplace for a song associated with an individual artist in the Halls to be licensed separately for pantomime singing, often with the stipulation that it was only allowed to be sung in one production in a given town, as seen in the advert below:
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%3A37299
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics: monologues.co.uk
- US Sheet Music: Levy Collection
Last Updated on February 15, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: May 3, 2022
