Henry Carey
Of Carey, the author of the popular song, ‘Sally in our Alley,’ we know only that he was a professional musician, composing the air as well as the words of ‘Sally,’ and that in 1763 he died by his own hands.
Sally in Our Alley
1 Of all the girls that are so smart,
There’s none like pretty Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
There is no lady in the land
Is half so sweet as Sally:
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
2 Her father he makes cabbage-nets,
And through the streets does cry ’em;
Her mother she sells laces long,
To such as please to buy ’em:
But sure such folks could ne’er beget
So sweet a girl as Sally!
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
3 When she is by, I leave my work,
(I love her so sincerely,)
My master comes like any Turk,
And bangs me most severely:
But, let him bang his belly full,
I’ll bear it all for Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
4 Of all the days that’s in the week,
I dearly love but one day;
And that’s the day that comes betwixt
A Saturday and Monday;
For then I’m dressed all in my best,
To walk abroad with Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
5 My master carries me to church,
And often am I blamed,
Because I leave him in the lurch,
As soon as text is named:
I leave the church in sermon time,
And slink away to Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
6 When Christmas comes about again,
O then I shall have money;
I’ll hoard it up, and box it all,
I’ll give it to my honey:
I would it were ten thousand pounds,
I’d give it all to Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
7 My master, and the neighbours all,
Make game of me and Sally;
And, but for her, I’d better be
A slave, and row a galley:
But when my seven long years are out,
O then I’ll marry Sally,
O then we’ll wed, and then we’ll bed,
But not in our alley.