DESCRIPTION:
When Rev Sabine Baring-Gould collected Strawberry Fair from the singing of John Masters in 1891, he thought the words rather indelicate and so rewrote them in a rather Fol-de-rol Victorian style. However, in his notes, preserved in the Baring Gould collection (now made accessible by Wren Music http://www.wrenmusic.co.uk), John Masters' original words are recorded. This version sung by Alan Rosevear uses Baring Gould's sanitised verses to start and then slips into the wild Devon version -- can you spot the transition point? Roud No. 173.

STRAWBERRY FAIR
As I was going to Strawberry Fair
Singing, singing buttercups and daisies
I met a maiden taking her ware
Tol-de-dee
Her eyes were blue and golden her hair
As she went on to Strawberry Fair
Ri-tol-ri-tol-riddle-tol-di-dee
Ri-tol-ri-tol-riddle-tol-di-dee

Kind
sir pray pick of my basket she said
Singing, singing buttercups and daisies
My cherries ripe and my roses so red
Tol-de-dee
My stawberries sweet I can them spare
As I go on to Strawberry Fair
Ri-tol-ri-tol-riddle-tol-di-dee
Ri-tol-ri-tol-riddle-tol-di-dee
break from BG published to James Masters version
O I have a lock that doth lack a key
O I have a lock, sir, she did say
If you have a key then come this way
As we go on to Strawberry Fair

Between us I reckon, that when we met
The key to the lock it was well set
The key to the lock it well did fit
As we went on to Strawberry Fair

O would that my lock had been a gun
I'd shoot the Blacksmith, for I'm undone
And wares to carry I now have none
That I should go to Strawberry Fair