Lint Pullin'

When I was young and pulled at lint, I was handsome, spry and trig;
I always kept in temper wi’ the lass was on my rig,
And if the pullers chanced to kemp [race], no matter wha was late,
I ay took special caution that my lass was never beat.

I once went down by Bushmills way, for they had a boon on there;
It’s not for the greed of gear I went, but for the spree and tear;
For young ones then I would have you ken would fair jump at a chance,
And they would work the li’e lang day, at night to get a dance.

The servant girl that was in the house, she was neat, genteel and fair;
She had twa bonny rosy cheeks and a head o’ curly hair;
Besides she had that winnin’ way that would your favour gain,
And I felt my heart a-warmin’ for that maid called Mary Jane.

When we landed on the head-rig the maids they got their choice,
Each to pick their partner from among the men and boys;
And when we started on the foot my heart did jump wi’ glee,
For Mary Jane was on my rig for she had picked on me.

You see, I was the stranger there, I had no room to talk,
But them that has the knack can pull as fast as some can walk;
I looked across at Mary Jane and says I, ‘We’ve got to pull.’
She threw her bonnet down the field and answered back, ‘We will.’

I did the sweeping across the rig: she did the breakin’ in,
And every time we pulled in front, I made her tak’ her win;
And though both right and left of us, they were pressing us very hard,
We were the first two at the head, we had beat them by a yard.

We had scarcely pulled the others out, when the bell rung six o’clock;
We were a’ fatigued an’ wearied and glad to hear the knock.
My comrade, lingering at the gate, it’s unto me did say:
‘If they pull as hard the morrow, Rab, in the rig wi’ you I’ll stay.

I helped her fill her creel that night; it was for the morning fire.
I asked her would she like for life with me to come and hire.
Says I, ‘You’ll have to work gye hard and your wages will no’ be big.’
She says, ‘We’ll pull thegither [together], Rab, the way we pulled the rig.’