Examples Of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" From Mudcat Folk Music Forum

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the Part IV of a four part pancocojams series about the children's singing game and skipping (jump rope) rhyme entitled "On The Mountain stands A Lady" (or similar titles).

This post shares comments from a Mudcat folk music forum discussion threads that provide examples of versions of this children's recreational rhyme/song. This discussion thread began in 2000 and is still open for comments (as of May 5, 2026).

The Addendum of this post showcases a video of Irish girls in the 1970s singing and playing recreational games. A variant form of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" is shown at around 9.30 to around 10.09 of that video.

Read that entire Mudcat discussion thread for other comments such as those that refer to the history of these rhymes and their possible connection to folk songs such as "No John No".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-history-of-on-mountain-stands-lady.html  for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents an excerpt about this singing game and rhyme from two bluegrassmessanger.com website. The second website indicates that the earliest documented example of "On The Mountain stands A Lady" is from 1846 with some sources for that song dating from 18th century Britain. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/on-mountain-stands-lady-part-ii.html for Part II of this pancocojams post. That post presents a 2025 Facebook post about a 2012 Isle of Man sound file by Violet Corlett of "On The Mountain Stands A Lady". Some comments from that post's discussion thread are also included in this pancocojams post. These comments include memories of that skipping rhyme mostly from the 1940s - 1970s with one commenter sharing her memory of singing this rhyme while skipping rope in the 1980s. 
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.

The Addendum to this post provides a general list of the locations that the selected commenters gave for where they lived when they sang this rhyme.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/05/on-mountain-stands-lady-jump-rope-rhyme.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part A of that post showcases a YouTube video example and some text (word only) examples of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" recreational rhymes from various online sources. 

Part B of that post showcases a YouTube video example of "There Stands A Lady On A Mountain" circle game and the lyrics for that example. 

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in this YouTube video and thanks to the producers of that video and its online publishers.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This post departs from this pancocojams blog's mission of showcasing the music, dances, language practices, & customs of African Americans and of other people of Black descent throughout the world.

While some singing games and recreational rhymes that are showcased on pancocojams have been documented to come from Black Americans or from other Black people, all of the examples from those folk genres-such as "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" did not come from those populations.

These examples of and information about "On A Mountain Stands A Lady" are showcased on pancocojams because I'm interested in and like these genres of folk culture. Also, I like learning about the history of songs and rhymes and discovering how some elements of old songs and rhymes are retained in "new" songs and rhymes.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A MUDCAT FOLK MUSIC FORUM ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S RHYME "ON A MOUNTAIN STANDS A LADY" (or similar titles)

Numbers added for referencing purposes only.

From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23699

1.Subject: On a mountain stands a lady

From: GUEST,Sean Mac Ruaraidh
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:52 AM

"Hi,

Just the lyrics will do - I don't really expect to get any chords.

1. I require a full version of Childrens song - or is this all of it ?

'On a mountain stands a lady, who she is I do not know. All she wants is gold and silver, all she wants is a fine young man'

2. My dad's been singing a song that appears to be coming straight from his subconcious - i.e. starts to sing it when he is driving. Only words I have are :-

 'Old Uncle Albert was dancing with bears, dancing with bears, dancing with bears'

 Thanks,

 Sean MacRuaraidh."
-snip-
Here's a note from that folk music forum's moderator
" "Dancing With Bears" replies moved to this thread (click).

-Joe Offer-"
-snip-
That click command leads to this Mudcat discussion thread:
Lyr/Chords Req: Waltzing with Bears

https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?ThreadID=14244

**

2. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain / Dancing Bears
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 09:09 AM

"The first song is a variant of "Oh no, John, no" and/or "Madam will you walk". As kids we used to sing:

On yonder hill there stands a lady

Who she is I do not know.

All she wants is gold and silver,

And a nice young man, you know

But I've heard so many versions, that I can't properly remember how it continued.

 Wassail! V"

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3.  Subject: ADD: On the hillside stands a lady
From: Jimmy C
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 09:21 AM

"The little girls in Belfast and probably other places used to sing a skipping song that went:

On the hillside stands a lady

Who she is I do not know

All she wants is gold and silver

All she wants is a fine young man

 

Lady, Lady, touch the ground

Lady, Lady spin around

Lady, Lady, touch your shoe

Lady, Lady, go right through.

During the singing of the second part the skipper would have to spin, touch her shoe etc, without getting tangled in the rope. If successful she would pass on and rejoin the line, if not she had to take the end of the rope and do the turning, this went on until everybody got a chance to skip. My sisters would sing it often, I suppose there are other verses but I can't recall any."

**
4. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Canada
Date: 20 May 10 - 02:26 AM

"For skipping we would sing (in the 1960s in northern Canada)

On a Mtn stands a lady

Who she is I do not know

All she wants is gold and silver

All she wants is ice and snow

 

So come in my lady, lady, lady

So come in my lady,

While I go out to tea

 

(this was an invitation for one girl to skip in and take the rope and the other girl to skip out)"

**
5. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Desideratum1731
Date: 23 Apr 11 - 02:11 PM

"We girls sang it when skipping in the 40s and 50s in London. Two girls turned the rope while singing: 'On the mountain stands a lady, who she is I do not know. All she wants is gold and silver, all she wants is a fine young man. So come in my XXXX dear, XXXXX dear, XXXXX dear, so come in my XXXXX dear before I run away. Either a boys name or a girl's name would be called to take their place skipping over the rope."

**
6. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: Darowyn
Date: 24 Apr 11 - 04:37 AM

"I know a much longer version which goes to the tune used as the theme to the old TV series "The Liver Birds".

Everybody sings

Stands a lady, on the mountain

Who she is I do not know.

All she wants is gold and silver,

All she wants is a nice young man"

 

the 'young man' then sings (to different tune)

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

 

lady,

No!

 

'young man'

What if I buy you a nice arm chair,

to sit in the garden when you take the air?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

 

lady,

No!

 

'young man'

What if I buy you a silver spoon,

To feed your baby in the afternoon?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

 

lady,

No!

 

'young man'

What If I buy you a nice straw hat,

With long green ribbons hanging down the back?

Madam will you walk?

Madam will you talk?

Madam will you marry me?

 

lady,

Yes!

 

Everybody (another different tune)

Off to church love, off to church love, farewell!

Home from church love, home from church love, farewell!

 

Young man+ all the boys

What's for breakfast love, What's for breakfast love, farewell!

What's for breakfast love, What's for breakfast love, farewell!

 

lady,+ all the girls

Bread and butter and watercress. Bread and butter and watercress.

Bread and butter and watercress, and you shall have some!

 

Young man

What's for dinner love, What's for dinner love, farewell!

What's for dinner love, What's for dinner love, farewell!

 

lady,

Bread and butter and beetles. Bread and butter and beetles.

Bread and butter and beetles, and you shall have some!

 

Young man

What's for supper love, What's for supper love, farewell!

What's for supper love, What's for supper love, farewell!

 

lady,

Bread and butter and RATS. Bread and butter and RATS.

Bread and butter and RATS, and you shall have some!

 

Then everyone runs about screaming for a while, then they all come back into the circle to start again.

 

My class of eight year olds used to play this in Leeds in the early 80's, and the fact that I remember it accounts for the reason that I made a birthday cake for one of my grandsons that was decorated with bread and butter and beetles one year. Two years later his little brother asked me "When you make my birthday cake granddad, will you put bugs on it please?"

Cheers

Dave"

**
7. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST
Date: 11 May 11 - 09:49 PM

"my mother used to sing...on a mountain stands a lady who she is i do not know...all she wants is gold and silver...all she wants is a fine young beau-      which makes more sense because it rhymes"


**
8. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jun 12 - 09:28 PM

"My mom sang it much different:

 

On the mountain, stands a lady,

Who she is I do not know

All she wears is gold and silver

All she needs is a punch in the nose

 

So I'm calling *( insert name here)* dear,

*Katie *dear,

*Katie* dear

 

So I'm calling Katie dear, when I go out to play.

 

Good day!"

**
9. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: Joybell
Date: 04 Jul 13 - 05:53 PM

"As a skipping song in the 1950s we sang "On a hill there stands a creature..."

I always loved that image. A dragon? A lady griffin? A she-bear?

Joy"


**
10. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Shay
Date: 14 May 14 - 02:34 AM

"When I was a kid in the 1990s we used to sing:

on nmountain stands a lady

who she is i do know

all she wants is gold and silver

all she needs is a punch in the

So out goes *name of kid who was jumping*

and in goes *name of the next kid in line*

 

then we would start again."

**
11. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: GUEST,Popsicle
Date: 23 Mar 24 - 12:49 PM

"We sang this version in Ireland in the 1950's:

There's a lady on the mountain, who she is I do not know.

All she wants is Gold and Silver and a nice young man I know.

Take your partner, take your partner, go to the church love, kneel down love, say your prayers love, come home love.

Open the gates and let me through!

Not 'til you show you're black and blue!

Here's my black and here's my blue!

Now open the gates and let me through!

 

This was sung in a circle of girls and 2 would pair off outside the circle and follow the actions of the song (kneeling, praying, etc.) and show their right leg for the black and their left leg for the blue. After that they could join the circle."


**
12. Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: On a mountain stands a lady
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Mar 24 - 03:53 PM

"You'll find it in here along with other kids street songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdpXTFy3zlw&list=WL&index=3
-snip-
That hyperlink led me to the documentary film that is given immediately below.
 

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ADDENDUM - VIDEO : Dusty Bluebells 1971 Belfast kid's songs.

 

arfer, Jun 8, 2014

Belfast children's street songs filmed in 1971. Some charming performances.

Comments are turned off
-snip-
Unfortunately, the automatic transcript for this YouTube video is very poor. Also, no list of the featured songs and rhymes is provided. I'm reluctant to compile such a list because I'm not familiar with some of the songs and I'm not familiar with the Irish accent.
-snip-
A brief clip of that documentary film can be found elsewhere online, including 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theirishsettlers/posts/1388066094906249/ "The Irish Settlers" published by Mary Moriarty, April 24, 2021.

That post is entitled "A Trip Down Memory Lane—showing some Songs and Games" shows the portion from the film in which two children do a hand clap routine while chanting part of the rhyme "Long Legged Sailor" and the portion of the film where girls jump in a long rope while singing part of "On The Hillside Stands A Lady", a variant form of "On A Mountain Stands A Lady".

Captions for parts of both of those rhymes are given in that Facebook post (and not in that YouTube video). Here's the captions that were given for the "On The Hillside Stands A Lady" rhyme:
"On the hillside stands a lady
Who she is I do not know
Lady lady tip the ground
Lady lady give a burl around
Lady lady show your shoe
Lady lady run right through"
-snip-
As shown in that video, "tip the ground" = "touch the ground"  and "give a burl around" = "turn around".
-snip-
This portion of that rhyme is very similar to Comment #3 in this Mudcat discussion thread compilation that is given above in this pancocojams post.

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This concludes Part IV of this pancocojams series.

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