The Dashy, Splashy.... Little Stringer

The Dashy, Splashy.... Little Stringer
1841
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 spirited horse
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 wink
“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 money
  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.





Notes

Leman Rede (1802-47) an author of numerous successful dramatic pieces, and a contributor to the weekly and monthly journals of the day, chiefly to the New Monthly and Bentley’s. He was born in Hamburgh, his father a barrister.

Some of the best parts ever played by Liston, John Reeve, Charles Mathews, Keeley, and G. Wild were written by him.

Taken from Musa Pedestris, Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes [1536―1896], collected and annotated by John S. Farmer.

previous * next

Nearby

Overview
Forewords
. . .
Nix My Doll, Pals, Fake Away
The Game Of High Toby
The Double Cross
The Thieves’ Chaunt
The House Breaker’s Song
The Faking Boy To The Crap Is Gone
The Nutty Blowen
The Faker’s New Toast
My Mother
The High-Pad’s Frolic
The Dashy, Splashy.... Little Stringer
The Bould Yeoman
The Bridle-Cull and his little Pop-Gun
Jack Flashman
Miss Dolly Trull
The By-Blow Of The Jug
The Cadger’s Ball
Dear Bill, This Stone-Jug
The Leary Man
A Hundred Stretches Hence
The Chickaleary Cove
. . .
Appendix