The
"Dark Girl
Dressed in Blue" (1864)
Song
By
Harry Clifton

Boston, MA: Oliver Ditson & Co., 277 Washington St.
Cinn.: J. Church Jr.
N. York: W. A. Pond & Co.
Boston: J. C. Haynes & Co.
Phila.: J. E. Gould
Plate no.: 22264
DIGITAL COLLECTION
Historical American Sheet Music: 1850-1920

CALL/REPRODUCTION NUMBER
Music B-1063

REPOSITORY
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University
[Source: b1063@UNC-Duke]

1. From a village up the Hudson,
  To New York here I came,
To see the park call’d Central,
  And all places of great fame.
But what I suffer’d since I came,
  I now will tell to you,
How I lost my heart and senses too,
  Thro’ a dark girl dress’d in blue.

CHORUS [sung twice after each VERSE]
She was a fine girl fol de riddle I do
A charmer Fol de riddle eh.

2. ’Twas on a Friday morning,
  The first day of August—
When of that day I ever think,
  My heart feels ready to bust!
I jump’d into a Broadway stage,
  The Central Park going to,
On a seat by the right hand side of the door
  Sat a dark girl dress’d in blue.

3. Now we hadn’t gone very far,
  When the Lady look’d so strange,
The driver knock’d down for his fare—
  Says she, “I have no change—
I’ve only a ten dollar bill;
  O dear what shall I do?”
Said I, “Allow me to pay.”— “Oh, thank you, sir,”
  Says the dark girl dress’d in blue.

4. We chatted and talked, as we onward walked,
  About one thing or the other;
She asked me, too (oh wasn’t it kind?)
  If I had a father or a mother.
Says I, “Yes, and a grandmother too;
  But pray, miss, what are you?”
“Oh, I’m chiefengineer in a milliner’s shop,”
  Says the dark girl dressed in blue.

5.We walked about for an hour or two,
  Through the park, both near and far;
Then to a large hotel we went—
  I stepped up to the bar:
She slipped in my hand a tendollar bill—
  I said, “What are you going to do?”
“Oh! don”t think it strange, I must have change,”
  Said the dark girl dressed in blue.

6.We had some slight refreshments,
  And I handed out the bill;
The barkeeper counted out the change,
  And the bill dropped in the till:
’Twas in currency and silver change—
  There was a threecent piece or two;
So I rolled it up, and gave it to
  The dark girl dressed in blue.

7. She thanked me, and said, “I must away—
  Farewell, till next we meet;
For on urgent business I must go
  To the store in Hudson street.”
She quickly glided from my sight,
  And soon was lost to view;
I turned to leave— when by my side
  Stood a tall man dressed in blue!

8. This tall man said, “Excuse me, sir,
  I”m one of the ‘special force’;
That bill was bad— please come with me”—
  I had to go, of course.
Said I, “For a lady I obtained the change;”
  Says he, “Are you telling me true?
What’s her name?” Says I, “I don’t know,
  She was a dark girl dressed in blue.”

9. My story  they believed— thought I was deceived,
  But said I must hand back the cash;
I thought it was a sin, as I gave her the tin—
  Away went ten dollars smash!
So, all young men, take my advice,
  Be careful what you do,
When you make the acquaintance of ladies strange,
  Especially a dark girl dressed in blue.