The Bonny Black Hare

Traditional bawdy folk song, the origins of which are unclear. One thing is very clear, though; it’s a rather saucy little number!

On the fourteenth of May at the dawn of the day
With my gun on my shoulder to the woods I did stray
In search of some game if the weather proved fair
Could I get a shot at the bonny black hare

Oh I met a young girl with her face as a rose
And her skin was as fair as the lily that grows
I says “My fair maiden, why ramble you so?
Can you tell me where the bonny black hare do go?”

Oh the answer she gave me, her answer was “No
But it’s under my apron they say it do go
And if you’ll not deceive me I vow and declare
We’ll both go together to hunt the bonny black hare”

Well I laid this girl down with her face to the sky
And I took out my ramrod and bullets likewise
I says “Lock your legs round me and dig in with your heels
For the closer we get oh the better it feels”

The birds they were singing in the bushes and trees
And the song that they sang was “She’s easy to please”
I felt her heart quiver and I knew what I’d done
I said “Have you had enough of my old sporting gun?”

Oh the answer she gave me, her answer was “Nay
It’s not often young sportsmen like you come this way
And if your powder is willing and your bullets play fair
Why don’t you keep firing at the bonny black hare?”

“Oh, my powder is wasted and my bullets all gone
My ramrod is limp and I cannot fire on
But I’ll be back in the morning if you are still here
We’ll both go together to hunt the bonny black hare”