Frederic Edward Weatherly

Frederic Edward Weatherly was an English lawyer, author, lyricist, and broadcaster. He is best known for writing the lyrics of the popular ballad 'Danny Boy' and the hymn 'The Holy City'. Besides his contribution to music, Weatherly penned around 1,500 songs and numerous books in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His vast body of work and influence extended to both the literary and musical fields until his death in 1929.

October 4, 1848

September 7, 1929

English

Bird In The Hand, A

    There were three young maids of Lee;
    They were fair as fair can be,
    And they had lovers three times three,
    For they were fair as fair can be,
    These three young maids of Lee.
But these young maids they cannot find
A lover each to suit her mind;
The plain-spoke lad is far too rough,
The rich young lord is not rich enough,
The one is too poor, and one is too tall,
And one just an inch too short for them all.
"Others pick and choose, and why not we?
We can very well wait," said the maids of Lee.
    There were three young maids of Lee;
    They were fair as fair can be,
    And they had lovers three times three
    For they were fair as fair can be,
    These three young maids of Lee.

    There are three old maids of Lee,
 ...

Frederic Edward Weatherly

Usual Way, The

There was once a little man, and his rod and line he took,
For he said, "I'll go a-fishing in the neighboring brook."
And it chanced a little maiden was walking out that day,
                    And they met, in the usual way.

Then he sat him down beside her, and an hour or two went by,
But still upon the grassy brink his rod and line did lie;
"I thought," she shyly whispered, "you'd be fishing all the day!"
                    And he was, in the usual way.

So he gravely took his rod in hand, and threw the line about,
But the fish perceived distinctly that he was not looking out;
And he said, "Sweetheart, I love you!" but she said she could not stay:
                    But she did, in the usual way.

Then the stars came out above them, and she gave a little sigh...

Frederic Edward Weatherly