The Dashy, Splashy…. Little Stringer [Notes]
[By LEMAN REDE, being Kit’s Song in Sixteen-String Jack].
I
A cloudy night, and pretty hard it blow’d,
The dashy, splashy, leary little stringer, [1]
Mounted his roan, and took the road—
Phililoo!
“My Lord Cashall’s on the road to-night,
Down with the lads, make my lord alight—
Ran dan row de dow, on we go!”
Chorus.—Ran, dan, etc.
II
“You horrid wretch,” said my Lord to Rann—
The dashy, splashy, leary little stringer—
“How dare you rob a gentleman?”
Phililoo!
Says Jack, says he, with his knowing phiz, [2]
“I ain’t very pertic’lar who it is!
Ran dan row de dow, on we go!”
Chorus.—Ran, dan, etc.
III
Ve collar’d the blunt, started off for town, [3]
With the dashy, splashy, leary little stringer,
Horses knock’d up, men knock’d down—
Phililoo!
A lady’s carriage we next espied,
I collar’d the blunt, Jack jumped inside,
Ran dan row de dow, on we go!
Chorus.—Ran, dan, etc.
IV
Jack took off his hat, with a jaunty air—
The dashy, splashy, leary little stringer—
And he kiss’d the lips of the lady fair—
Phililoo!
She sigh’d a sigh, and her looks said plain,
I don’t care much if I’m robb’d again!
Ran dan row de dow, on we go!
Chorus.—Ran, dan, etc.
[1: spirited horse] [2: wink] [3: money]