Old, Waily, Windy Knight

Old, Waily, Windy Knight

This type of song is known as a knight-visiting song, a common theme in the folk tradition. It is clearly related to the ancient rite-de-signature, in which passing knights were entitled to sleep with marriageable maidens, but only if they singed the visitors book, so that they could be traced if there were any outcome. Clearly the knight in this song is trying to avoid doing so - hence his unusual choice of entrance.

"Now you're just trying to make it smuttier than it already is."

Sid Kipper

Old, Waily, Windy Knight appears on Sid's album Like A Rhinestone Ploughboy, and in his songbook The Ballad Of Sid Kipper.

'Oh me head it is frozen to me hat,

The snow is drifting down me back,

I fear I will die of cold in fact,

All in this biting wind-oh.'

'Let me in,' Sir Jasper cried,

Old, waily, windy knight.

'Let me in,' Sir Jasper cried,

'Here beneath your window.'

The window it has opened wide,

This ploughboy's stuck his head outside,

He said 'You're really not my type;

You should try my sister Linda.'

Now he's found the window where she snores,

But it was on the second floor,

So he's thrown pebbles, two, three, four,

And the glass rained down on him-oh.

Then up a ladder he has climbed,

And to her window come, betimes,

He's tapped on it seven times,

Calling 'Open up your window.'

'Oh that I will then,' Linda cried,

And she has thrown her window wide,

But it has knocked the ladder aside,

And he's dangling by his fingers.

Despite that wicked wind so chill

He's hauled himself up with a will;

If it weren't for the ice upon the sill

He would surely have got in-oh.

But down he's tumbled to the ground,

And there the broken glass he's found,

And he has made a fearful sound,

Outside her grandma's window.

Well grandma's opened her window wide

To find this winded knight outside,

And she has blessed the Lord on high,

And she has pulled him in-oh.

She's catched the window with a grin,

And she has kissed him cheek and chin,

She's slipped in between the sheets with him,

For he's frozen stiff, poor thing-oh.

'Let me out,' Sir Jasper cried,

Old, waily, windy knight.

'Let me out,' Sir Jasper cried,

But she opened and she took him in - oh!