Yellow Girls

Collected by Cecil Sharpe. Much discussion about whether it is “doodle” or “do not” (or one of various other alternatives) also about the meaning of “yellow girls”, but precious little information!

Yellow Girls

One morning as I walked along down by the riverside
    Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
There I spied a Yella Girl swimming in the tide
    Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!

Doodle let me go, me girls, doodle let me go
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!

She was a merchant’s daughter, from the town of Callyo
She took me to her father's house just to see if I would go

‘Twas at the hour of twelve at night her father he came home
He chased me round  the sofa boys and wasn’t that a show!

Round and round the sofa boys and wasn’t that a show!
He grabbed me by the bobstay, boys and wouldn't let me go
    Hurrah me yeller girls, LET me doodle go, 

Let me doodle go me boys, let me doodle go

Hurrah me yeller girls, let me doodle go 


There is a house called Madam Gashee's up in Callao
A whorehouse known as Madam Gashee's, a place you all should go.

I'll throw a rope 'round Madam Gashee's and take the place in tow
I'll tow it back to Liverpool and give the boys a show.