Song 39 in Ukulele for Beginners
Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?
Also known as: Johnny's So Long at the Fair
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Ukulele
For Ukulele for Beginners.
Slow (70% speed) (0:54)
Learn with this one first.
Normal speed (0:38)
The speed printed on the page.
Play-along (0:38)
Just the accompaniment, no tune: you play or sing the melody.
All the words
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 bring me a basket of posies,
A garland of lilies, a garland of roses.
He promised to bring me a bunch of blue ribbons
To tie up my bonny brown hair.
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.
About this song
- Music
- Traditional English (printed c. 1792)
- Words
- Traditional
- First published
- Traditional, late 18th century; words and tune here from Moffat, Little Songs of Long Ago (London: Augener, 1912)
- Copyright
- Public domain in the US, UK and EU. The arrangement and recordings belong to the book.