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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Will saide to his Mammy
Language: English 
Will saide to his mammy
That hee woulde goe woo,
Faine would he wed but he wot not who.
Soft a while my lammy stay, and yet abide.
Hee like a foole as he was replide:
In faith chil* have a wife, a wife, a wife,
O what a life do I lead
For a wife in my bed
I may not tell you,
 O there to have a wife, a wifem awife,
O tis a smart to my hart,
Tis a racke to my backe and to my belly.

Scarcely was hee wedded,
Full a fortnighty space,
But that he was in a heavie case.
Largely was he headded,
And his cheekes lookt thinne:
And to repent he did thus beginne:
A figge for such a wife, a wife, a wife,
O what a life to lead,
With a wife in my bedde,
I may not tell you,
O there to have a wife, a wife, a wife,
O tis a smart to my heart,
Tis a racke to my backe and to my belly.

All you that are Batchelers,
Be learnd by crying Will,
When you are well to remaine so still,
Better for to tarry,
And alone to lie,
Than like a foole with a foole to crie:
A figge for such a wife, a wife, a wife,
O what a life do I leade,
With a wife in my bed,
I may not tell you,
O  there to have a wife, a wife, a wife,
O tis a smart to my heart,
Tis a racke to my backe
And to my belly.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Robert Jones (fl. 1597-1615), "Will saide to his Mammy", published 1609, from the collection A Musical Dreame or Fourth Booke of Ayres [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this page: Linda Godry

This text was added to the website: 2008-11-09
Line count: 39
Word count: 266

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