The Swap Song

(album: Capt. Burl Ives' Ark - 1958)

When I was a little boy I lived by myself
All the bread and cheese I gotta put it on the shelf

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

The rats and the mice, they led me such a life
I had to go to London to get myself a wife

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

The roads were so slick and the lanes were so narrow
Had to take her home in a old wheelbarrow

Got my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

The wheelbarrow broke and my wife had a fall
Down came wheelbarrow, wife and all

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swap my wheelbarrow got me a horse
Then I rode from cross to cross

Got my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my horse and got me a mare
Then I rode from fair to fair

Got my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my mule and got me a cow
And in that trade I just learned how

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my cow and got me a calf
In that trade I lost just half

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my calf and got me a mule
Then I rode like a dog-gone fool

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my mule and I got me a sheep
Then I rode till I went to sleep

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my sheep and got me a goat
Rode to the election, sold my vote

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my goat and got me a rat
Put it in the haystack to run the cat

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my rat and got me a hen
What a pretty little think I had then

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home

Swapped my hen and got me a mole
And the dog-gone thing ran straight to its hole

To my wing wong waddle
To my jack straw saddle
To my jon fair faddle
To my long way home