Chastity Belt

Words and Tune:"The origins of this song lie somewhere between the Cambridge St. Lawrence Society and the Oxford Heritage Society - though neither claims the credit. The tune is from Oxford and the words are a 'combined universities' affair." From Sing! Volume 6 No. 10 - (June 1962)
Source: Coeur d'Ennui Letchers Guild Songbook Edited by William Coeur du Boeuf

Oh pray, gentle maiden, let me be your lover,
Condemn me no longer to moan and to weep,
Struck down like a hart I lie wounded and panting
Oh let down your drawbridge, I'll enter your keep.

Enter your keep, nonny nonny,
Enter your keep, nonny nonny
Let down your drawbridge, I'll enter your keep.

Alas gentle errant, I am not a maiden,
I'm married to Sir Oswald, the cunning old Celt;
He's gone to wars for a twelve month or longer
And taken the key to my chastity belt.

Chastity belt, nonny nonny,
Chastity belt, nonny nonny
Taken the key to my chastity belt.

Fear not, gentle maiden, for I know a locksmith;
To his forge we will go, on his door we will knock
And try to avail us of his specialized knowledge,
And see if he's able to unpick your lock.

Unpick your lock, nonny nonny,
Unpick your lock, nonny nonny
See if he's able to unpick your lock.

Alas, sir and madam, to help I'm unable,
My technical knowledge is to no avail.
I can't find the secret of your combination,
The cunning old bastard has fitted a Yale.

Fitted a Yale, nonny nonny,
Fitted a Yale, nonny nonny
That cunning old bastard has fitted a Yale.

I'm back from the wars with sad news of disaster,
A terrible mishap I have to confide,
As my ship was a-passing the Straits of Gibraltar
I carelessly dropped the key over the side.

Over the side, nonny nonny,
Over the side, nonny nonny
I carelessly dropped the key over the side

Alas and alack I am locked up forever!
Then up stepped the page boy saying "Leave this to me.
If you will allow me to enter your chamber
I'll open it up with my duplicate key."

Duplicate key, nonny nonny,
Duplicate key, nonny nonny
I'll open it up with me duplicate key

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