As I roved out one May morning, down by blackwater
side
I heard a lovely fair maid sing, which filled me with
surprise
May the heavens shine on you fair one, for that good
song you've sung
For I do wish you were my bride
Kind sir, I am too young
The younger you are my fair pretty maid, the better
you are for me
For I do vow and now declare, my loving bride you'll
be
He took her by the lily white hand, he kissed both
cheeks and chin
He took her to his own bedroom, to spend the night
with him
And all the first part of the night, they frolicked
and they played
All the second part of the night, close in his arms
she laid
The night being gone, the day coming on, the morning
sun appeared
This young man arose, put on his clothes, saying fare
thee well, my dear
That's not the promise you made to me, down by
blackwater side
You promised you would marry me, make me your loving
bride
If that's the promise I made to you, it's more than I
can do
For I never intends to marry a girl so easily led as
you
You go down to your father's own garden, it's there
you can cry your fill
And when you thinks about what you've done, you can
blame your own free will
There's a tree in you father's garden, some people
calls it rue
When fish will fly and seas run dry, young men they
will prove true
There's lots of girls goes to the fair, my soul can
overthrow
But me, poor girl must stay at home, rocking the
cradle o'er
Rocking the cradle o'er and o'er, singing sweet
lullaby
Was there ever a girl in this whole world
So easily led as I