Digital Tradition Mirror

Banks of Green Willow

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Banks of Green Willow

It's of a sea captain, lived by the sea side oh
And he has courted a fair maid till she's proved with child oh

Crying, "Oh my love, what shall I do and what will become of me
For my father and mother they will both disown me"

"Go  fetch some of your father's gold and some of  your  mother's
  money
And you can sail the ocean along with your Johnny"

So  she's  fetched  some of her father's gold  and  some  of  her
  mother's money
And she's gone on board a ship along with her Johnny

They hadn't been a sailing scarce six weeks nor so many
Before she wanted woman's help and could not get any

"oh  hold  your tongue you foolish girl, oh hold your  tongue  my
  honey
For we cannot get woman's help for love nor for money"

They hadn't been a sailing scarce six miles nor so many
Before she was delivered of a beautiful baby

"Sea captain, sea captain, here's fifty pounds for thee
If you'll fetch me home safe again, both me and my baby"

"Oh no," says the sea captain, "For such a thing can never be
For tis better to loose two lives than it is to loose many"

So  he's  tied a kerchief round her head, he's tied it  soft  and
  easy
And he has thrown her right overboard, both she and her baby

"See how my love do swim, my boys, see how my love do quiver
She will never cease swimming till the banks of green willow"

"My love shall have a coffin of the gold that shines so yellow
And she shall be buried by the banks of green willow"

Child #24
recorded by Frankie Armstrong
SOF

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!