"Navvy Boots" - An old folk song from the UK with a bit of useful advice for young folks everywhere. Arranged for dulcimer.

The following song is in ABC music format and it should be cut-and-pasted into an ABC converter program like the "abcConverter" on Mandolintab.net. Once you submit your ABC file, the converter will produce a quick and dirty image of your musical score which is then displayed on screen. Above the music, in the center of the screen, you should be able to see these three links:

[MIDI music file]  [PDF Sheet Music]  [ABC source]

The first link will allow you to hear your music as played on a midi player, which is great for learning what a new song is supposed to (kind of) sound like. It's great if you are not sure of the timing of the music. The second link converts the ABC source into a .pdf image of your music which you can then save and/or print to yield prettier sheet music. Then, if you want to view the ABC source again, you can click on the third link. However, to edit your ABC source, you best click on your browser's back arrow to take you back to the original text box holding your ABC source.

Well, I like this song, and I hope you do as well. Enjoy:


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

X:1
T:Navvy Boots
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:Gmaj
z2 z B | EF GA | B e2 d | B-E E D | E3
w:A dig-ging and a-pick-ing as I_ was one day
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 7 5 1 1 0 1
w:~
B | E-F GA | B2 ef | g3/2- f/2 ed | B3
w:The thought_ of my true love it led_ me a-stray.
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 9 8 7 5
w:~
B | e2 dB| c2 ec| B2 AG| A2
w:The day it was gone and the night com-ing on
w:5 8 7 5 6 8 6 5 4 3 4
w:~
GA | B2 cB| B2 AG| AGE-D| E3 z|
w:And I hit for the road with my nav-vy boots_ on.
w:3 4 5 6 5 5 4 3 4 3 1 0 1
w:~
w:~
w:~Verse~2:
z2 z B | EF GA | B e2 d | B-E E D | E3
w:I knocked at my love's win-dow, my knock_ she did know
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 7 5 1 1 0 1
w:~
B | E-F GA | B2 ef | g3/2- f/2 ed | B3
w:And out_ of her slum-ber she wak_ ened so slow.
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 9 8 7 5
w:~
B | e2 dB | c2 ec | B2 AG | A2
w:I knocked there a-gain, and she said "Is that John?"
w:5 8 7 5 6 8 6 5 4 3 4
w:~
GA | B2 cB| B2 AG| AGE-D| E3 z|
w:"Yes in-deed it is me with my nav-vy boots_ on."
w:3 4 5 6 5 5 4 3 4 3 1 0 1
w:~
w:~
w:~Verse~3:
z2 z B | EF GA | B e2 d | B-E E D | E3
w:She o-pened up the door and in-vit-ed me_ in
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 7 5 1 1 0 1
w:~
B | E-F GA | B2 ef | g3/2- f/2 ed | B3
w:"Draw up_ to the fire, love, and warm_ your cold skin."
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 9 8 7 5
w:~
B | e2 dB| c2 ec| BB AG| A2
w:Her bed-room door was o-pen and blank-ets rolled down
w:5 8 7 5 6 8 6 5 5 4 3 4
w:~
GA | B2 cB| B2 AG| AGE-D| E3 z|
w:So I jumped in-to bed with me nav-vy boots_ on.
w:3 4 5 6 5 5 4 3 4 3 1 0 1
w:~
w:~
w:~Verse~4:
z2 z B | EF GA | B e2 d | B-E E D | E3
w:Then ear-ly the next mor-ning at the dawn of the day,
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 7 5 1 1 0 1
w:~
B | E-F GA | B2 ef | g3/2- f/2 ed | B B2
w:Says I_ to my true love, "It's time_ to go a-way."
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 9 8 7 5 5
w:~
B | e2 dB| c2 ec| B2 AG| A2
w:"Sleep down, sleep down, you know_ you've done_ wrong
w:5 8 7 5 6 8 6 5 4 3 4
w:~
GA | B2 cB| B2 AG| AGE-D| E3 z|
w:For to sleep here at night with your nav-vy boots_ on."
w:3 4 5 6 5 5 4 3 4 3 1 0 1
w:~
w:~
w:~Verse~5:
z2 z B | EF GA | B e2 d | B-E E D | E3
w:Oh I_ bent down my head with a laugh and a smile
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 7 5 1 1 0 1
w:~
B | E-F GA | B2 ef | g3/2- f/2 ed | B3
w:Saying "What could I do, love, in that length_ of_ time?
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 9 8 7 5
w:~
B | e2 dB| c2 ec| B2 AG| A A
w:For all that I've done it was just a bit of fun
w:5 8 7 5 6 8 6 5 4 3 4 4
w:~
GA | B2 cB| B2 AG| AGE-D| E3 z|
w:And I'll do it a-gain with my nav-vy boots_ on."
w:3 4 5 6 5 5 4 3 4 3 1 0 1
w:~
w:~
w:~Verse~6:
z2 z B | EF GA | B e2 d | B-E E D | E3
w:The six months be-ing o-ver and se-ven af-ter this
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 7 5 1 1 0 1
w:~
B | E-F GA | B2 ef | g3/2- f/2 ed | B3
w:This pret-ty fair maid grew stout a-round_ the_ waist
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 9 8 7 5
w:~
B | e2 dB| c2 ec| B2 AG| A A
w:Then eight months_ being o-ver and nine comes a-long
w:5 8 7 5 6 8 6 5 4 3 4 4
w:~
GA | BB cB| B2 AG| AGE-D| E3 z|
w:And she hand-ed me a son with his nav-vy boots_ on.
w:3 4 5 5 6 5 5 4 3 4 3 1 0 1
w:~
w:~
w:~Verse~7:
z2 z B | EF GA | B e2 d | B-E E D | E3
w:Come all you pret-ty fair maids take heed of what I say
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 7 5 1 1 0 1
w:~
B | E-F GA | B2 ef | g3/2- f/2 ed | B B2
w:Don't ev-er let a poor nav-vy come_ in-to your bed,
w:5 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 9 8 7 5 5
w:~
B | e2 dB| c2 ec| B2 AG| A A
w:For their hearts do run light and their minds do run young
w:5 8 7 5 6 8 6 5 4 3 4 4
w:~
GA | B2 cB| B2 AG| AGE-D| E3 z|
w:Sure they'll jump on your bones with their nav-vy boots_ on.
w:3 4 5 6 5 5 4 3 4 3 1 0 1
w:~

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


Notes:

1.) A "navvy" is a common laborer who digs canals, dikes, railroads, etc. The term comes from the word "navigations" which was an early British word for canal, thus a "navvy" is a man who digs canals and other earthen works. So, "navvy" is not simply a corruption of "navy".

2.) Several other versions of this song exist, with words differing with different trades. For instance a coal miner (collier) version is called "Pitt Boots".

3.) Here is a link to download a .pdf version of this song suitable for 1-5-8 tuned instruments like most stick dulcimers: Navvy%20Boots.pdf. Enjoy.

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Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on January 3, 2014 at 10:01am
You got it the first try.
Comment by Rand Moore on January 2, 2014 at 1:03pm

I don't follow. Puss'n Boots? Puss'n Toots? Or Puss'n something else. I'm pretty dimwitted.

Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on January 1, 2014 at 10:53pm
Hmmm. Wonder how the verses to the Puss'n version go...

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