Lyrics
(Canadian folk song)
1. Were you ever in Quebec,
Showing timber on a deck?
There’s a king with a golden crown,
Riding on a donkey.
Refrain
Hey, ho away we go, donkey riding, donkey riding,
Hey, ho away we go, Riding on a donkey.
2. Were you ever off the horn,
Where it’s always fine and warm?
See the lion and the unicorn,
Riding on a donkey. Refrain
3. Were you ever in the town,
Where the girls walk up and down?
Waiting for boys to come to town
Riding on a donkey. Refrain
See also
- Country: Canada
- Subject: donkeys
- Type: sea shanty
- Form: AB
- Harmony: chords I IV V
- Meter: 2
- Rhythm:
- Scale: hexachord
- Tones: drmfsl
- more info / more lyrics
YouTube
- Song with chords in 2 keys with Solfege (PDF)
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song
3 thoughts on “Donkey Riding”
70 now but when I was in primary school in 1957 we were taught Stowing timber on the deck. Guess there were regional variations though.
“Stowing” for sure. Our teacher said that the “donkey” referred to a type of small boat and engine used to push logs around. The “King with a golden crown” referred to the boat’s captain wearing his captain’s cap. ???
PS We learned that song ca 1950 in elementary school in Kitchener ON. I will celebrate my 83rd birthday this summer.