"Oh, Dear! What Can the Matter Be?" (aka "Johnny's So Long at the Fair") is a traditional nursery rhyme song that can be traced back as far as the 1770's in England. There are several versions of the song.

Notes

A Shorter Version:

Oh dear, what can the matter be?
Oh dear, what can the matter be?
Oh dear, what can the matter be?
Johnny's so long at the fair.
He promised to buy me a bunch of blue ribbons
To tie up my bonny brown hair.

Comments

Barbara D. Martin wrote...

"My mother loved this song, as do I, but it always bothered me as it was unfinished. Last two verses by Barbara Danforth Martin:

Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?

Chorus:
Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Dear, dear, what can the matter be?
Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Johnny's so long at the fair.

He promised to buy me a basket of posies,
A garland of lilies, a garland of roses,
A little straw hat to set off the blue ribbons
To tie up my bonny brown hair.

Chorus

He promised to buy me a fairing should please me,
And then for a kiss, oh! he vowed he would tease me,
He promised to bring me a bunch of blue ribbons
To tie up my bonny brown hair!

Chorus

He promised he'd be here before it was gloaming,
He promised that over the hills we'd go roaming,
He promised he'd bring me a bunch of blue ribbons
To tie up my bonny brown hair.

Chorus

The moon rises high as I look through my window,
And look, there he comes, walking over the meadow,
A kiss for my lips, in my hands there are ribbons
To tie up my bonnie brown hair!

Chorus

Download MIDI Tune

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Thanks to Barbara D Martin for sharing her version.