A Lusty Young Smith

A lusty young smith at his vice stood a-filing,

his hammer laid by but his forge still aglow,

When to him a buxom young damesel cam smiling,

and asked if to work at her forge he would go.

Chorus

With a jingle-bang jingle-bang jingle-bang jingle,

with a jingle-bang jingle-bang jingle-hi-ho!

"I will", said the smith, and they went off together,

Away to the young damsel's forge they did go,

They stripped to go to it, was hot work and weather,

She kindled a fire and soon made him blow.

Her husbad, she said, no good work could afford her,

His strength and his tools were worn out long ago,

The smith said, "well mine are in very good order,

and now I am ready my skill for to show"

Red hot grew his iron, as both did desire,

and he was too wise not to strike while 'twas so...

Quoth she, "What I get I get out of the fire,

So prithee strike hard and redouble thy blow!"

Six times did his iron, by vigorous heating,

Grow soft in the forge in a minute or so,

And often was hardened, still beating and beating,

But each time it softened it hardened more slow.

The smith then would go; quoth the dame full of sorrow,

"Oh what would I give could my husband do so!

Good lad, with your hammer, come hither tomorrow

But pray won't you use it once more ere you go?

This version of the lyrics was found at http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~amarth/sca/lyrics/lustysmith.html

The song is an 18th Century one that appears first in Thomas D'Urfey's Wit and Mirth: Pills to Purge Melancholy in 1719. (Although without the "jingle-bang" chorus.)

Sometimes it is mischaracterized as a filk song.

See also

• Filk
• Music
• songs