Annotation:O Jenny o Jenny where hast thou been

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O JENNY, O JENNY, WHERE HAST THOU BEEN. AKA and see "May Fair." English, Air (3/4 time). The air appears in John Gay's Beggar's Opera (1729, act i, Air IX) as "Oh Polly you might have toyed and kissed," sung by Mrs. Peachum and Polly. The original title above comes from a song by Thomas D'Urfey called "Willoughby Whim (The)" published in his Pills to Purge Melancholy, vol. 1; "O Jenny, O Jenny, where hast thou been?" is the first line of the song. As "May Fair" the tune can be found in Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Times (1859), although it dates to the early 18th century with that title. In more modern times it was known as a children's tune called "Golden slumbers kiss your eyes," from the verses adapted to it by William Chappell. In early Scots collections it is used for the song "My Mither says I maunna."

D'Urfey's lyric goes:

O Jeany, Jeany, where hast thou been?
Father and mother are seeking of thee,
Ye have been ranting, playing the wanton,
Keeping of Jocky company.

O Betty, I've been to hear the mill clack,
Getting meal ground for the family,
As sow as it gade, I brang hame the sack,
For the miller has taken nae mowter frae me.

Ha! Jeany, Jeany, there's meal on your back,
The miller's a wanton billy, and slee,
Tho' victual's come hame again hale, whatreck,
I fear he has taken his mowter aff thee.

And, Betty, ye spread your linen to bleach,
When that was done, where cou'd you be?
Ha! lass, I saw ye slip down by the hedge,
And wanton Willy was following thee.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 52.

Recorded sources:

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