Katie Connor

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:

dacres katieconnor -
The Era 08 Nov 1890, Sat  •  Page 6

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