© Pamela Morgan Publishing (a division of Amber Music)

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