Get Up and Bar the Door-Old English Ballad/Poem

Get Up and Bar the Door

Traditional Ballads

IT fell about the Martinmas time,
And a gay time it was then,
When our good wife got puddings to make,
And she’s boild them in the pan.

The wind sae cauld blew south and north,
And blew into the floor;
Quoth our goodman to our goodwife,
“Gae 1 out and bar the door.”

“My hand is in my hussyfskap, 2
Goodman, as ye may see;
An it shoud nae be barrd this hundred year,
It’s no be barrd for me.”

They made a paction tween them twa,
They made it firm and sure,
That the first word whaeer shoud speak,
Shoud rise and bar the door.

Then by there came two gentlemen,
At twelve o’clock at night,
And they could neither see house nor hall,
Nor coal nor candle-light.

“Now whether is this a rich man’s house,
Or whether is it a poor?”
But neer a word wad ane o them speak,
For barring of the door.

And first they ate the white puddings,
And then they ate the black;
Tho muckle thought the goodwife to hersel,
Yet neer a word she spake.

Then said the one unto the other,
“Here, man, tak ye my knife;
Do ye tak aff the auld man’s beard,
And I’ll kiss the goodwife.”

“But there’s nae water in the house,
And what shall we do than?”
“What ails thee at the pudding-broo, 3
That boils into the pan?”

O up then started our goodman,
An angry man was he:
“Will ye kiss my wife before my een,
And scad 4 me wi pudding-bree?”

Then up and started our goodwife,
Gied three skips on the floor:
“Goodman, you’ve spoken the foremost word,
Get up and bar the door.”

Note 1. Housewifery. [back]
Note 2. Water in which the puddings were boiled. [back]
Note 3. Scald. [back]
Note 4. Dry, make. [back]
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"Get up and Bar the Door"

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It fell about the Martinmas time,
And a gay time it was then.
When our goodwife got puddings to make,
She's boild them in the pan.

The wind sae cauld blew south and north,
And blew into the floor;
Quoth our goodman to our goodwife,
"Gae out and bar the door."

"My hand is in my hussyfskap,
Goodman, as ye may see;
An it should nae be barrd this hundred year,
It's no be barrd for me."

They made a paction tween them twa.
They made it firm and sure,
That the first word whaeer shoud speak,
Shoud rise and bar the door.

Then by there came two gentlemen,
At twelve o'clock at night,
And they could neither see house nor hall,
Nor coal nor candlelight.

"Now whether is this a rich man's house,
Or whether it is a poor?"
But neer a word wad ane o' them speak,
For barring of the door.

And first they ate the white puddings,
And then they ate the black:
Tho muckle thought the goodwife to hersel,
Yet neer a word she spake.

Then said the one unto the other,
"Here, man, take ye my knife:
Do ye tak aff the auld man's beard,
And I'll kiss the goodwife."

"But there's nae water in the house,
And what shall we do than?"
"What ails ye at the pudding broo,
That boils into the pan?"

O up then started our goodman,
An angry man was he:
"Will ye kiss my wife before my een,
And scad me wi pudding bree?"

Then up and started our goodwife,
Gied three skips on the floor:
"Goodman, you've spoken the foremost word:
Get up and bar the door."

The Barrin' o' the Door

(Trad - Child 275)

O the barrin' o' the door o
Weel weel weel
O the barrin' o' the door
Weel

It fell about a Christmas time, and a cauld time it was then o
When our guidwife had puddings to make, and she boiled them in the pan

The wind it blew from north to south, and it blew untae the floor o
Said our guidman to his guidwife, Get up and bar the door

My hand is in the mixing bowl as well that you can see o
If it's never barred this hundred year, it'll not be barred by me

They made a pact between themselves, they made it firm and sure o
Whoever should speak the first word, should rise and bar the door

By there came two gentlemen at twelve o'clock at night o
There they saw the man and wife sitting by candlelight

Have we found a rich man's house, or is it but you're poor o
But neither o' them would speak a word for the barrin' o' the door

First they ate the white puddings and then they ate the black o
And though the guidwife thought a lot yet never a word she spak

Said one traveller tae the other ye're a man to wield a knife
You shave off the auld man's beard and I will kiss his wife

There's no hot water in the house, and what shall I do then o
Why don't you use the gravy that's boilin' in the pan

Then up jumped our guidman, and an angry man was he o
Wad ye kiss my wife before my eyes and shave my beard with gravy

Then up jumped our guidwife and skipped around the floor o
Admit it now, you've spoken first, get up and bar the door

1, As sung by the Ian Campbell Folk Group

John Blunt

There was an old couple lived under the hill
Blunt, it was their name-o
They had good beer and ale for to sell
It bore a wonderful fame-o

John Blunt and his wife, they drank of the drink
Until they could drink no more-o
They both got tired and they went up to bed
And forgot to bar the door-o

So they a bargain, bargain made
Made it strong and sure-o
The first of them should speak the first word
Should get up and bar the door-o

So there came travellers, travellers three
Travelling in the night-o
No house, no home, no fire had they
Nor yet no candle light-o

They went to his cellar, they drank up his drink
Until they could drink no more-o
But never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door-o

They went to his larder, they ate up his food
Until they could eat no more-o
And never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door-o

They went upstairs, they went to his room
They broke down the door-o
But never a word did the old couple speak
For fear who should bar the door-o

They hauled his wife all out of the bed
Laid her out on the floor-o
Then up got poor John Blunt in his bed
For he could stand no more-o

Says, You've eaten my food, you've drunk all my drink
Laid my wife on the floor-o

You spoke the first word, John Blunt, she said
So go down and bar the door-o

2, as sung by Martin Carthy under the title John Blunt


Get Up and Bar the Door or JOAN AND JOHN BLOUNT

There was an old couple lived under a hill
Joan and John Blount they were called, oh
They brewed great ale all for to sell
They brewed it wonderful well, oh

John Blount and his wife drank some of his ale
Till they could drink no more, oh
They both went to bed with a drop in their head
And forgot to bar the door, oh

A bargain, a bargain this old couple made
A bargain firm and sure, oh
The very first one that should speak the first word
Should go down to bar the door oh

Along came travelers, travelers three
Traveling in the night oh
No house nor shelter could they find
No fire nor candle light oh

And straight to John Blount's house they went
And boldly opened the door oh
But not one word did the old couple say
For fear one should bar the door oh

They ate of his victuals, they drank of his drink
Till they could drink no more oh
But not one word did the old couple say
For fear one should bar the door oh

Then straight upstairs these travelers went
And took the old woman out of her bed
And kissed her on the floor oh
But not one word did the old couple say
For fear one should bar the door oh

"You've eat of my victuals, you drank of my drink
You've kissed my wife on the floor oh"

"John Blount" she said, "You've spoke the first word
Go down and bar the door oh"

"If you don't like what they did unto me
They kissed me on the floor oh
Take this to be as a warning see
Every night you bar the door oh"

Get Up and Bar the Door (4)
The wind blew high, the wind blew cold,
It blew across the moor,
When John Jones said to Jane, his wife,
"Get up and bar the door."

"Oh, I have worked all day," said she,
"I've washed and scrubbed the floor,
You lazy man, get up, I say,
Get up and bar the door."

Oh, I have worked so hard," said he,
"I know I can't do more;
So come, my own, my dearest wife,
Get up and bar the door.

Then they agreed between the two,
A solemn oath they swore,
That the one who spoke the very first word
Would have to bar the door.

The wind blew east, the wind blew west,
It blew all over the floor,
But neither one would say a word
For barrin' of the door.

Three robbers came along that way,
They came across the moor;
They saws Light and walked right in,
Right in through the open door.

"Oh, is the owner of this house
A rich man or a poor?"
But neither one would say a word
For barrin' of the door.

They ate the bread, they drank the ale,
Then said, "Come, give us more."
But neither one would say sword
For barrin' of the door.

"Let's pull the old man's beard" said one,
"Let's beat him till he's sore."
But still the old man wouldn't speak
For barrin' of the door.

"I'll kiss his pretty wife," said one,
"Oh, her I could adore."

And then the old man shook his fist
And gave a mighty roar.
"Oh, you'll not kiss my wife," said he,
"I'll throw you on the floor.

Said she, "Now, John, you've spoken first,
So get up and bar the door.