The Barkshire Tragedy
(Traditional)



A varmer he lived in the West Countree
With a hey down, bow down
A varmer he lived in the West Countree
And he had daughters, one, two and three
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

As they were walking by the river's brim
With a hey down, bow down
As they were walking by the river's brim
The eldest push'd the youngest in
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

O sister, O sister, pray gie me thy hand
With a hey down, bow down
O sister, O sister, pray gie me thy hand
And I'll gie thee both house and land
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

I'll neither, I'll neither gie thee hand nor glove
With a hey down, bow down
I'll neither, I'll neither gie thee hand nor glove
Unless thou'lt gie me thy own true love
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

So down she sank and away she swam
With a hey down, bow down
So down she sank and away she swam
Until she came to the miller's dam
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

O vather, vather, here swims a swan
With a hey down, bow down
O vather, vather, here swims a swan
Very much like a drownded gentlewoman
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

The miller he fot his pole and hook
With a hey down, bow down
The miller he fot his pole and hook
And he fished the fair maid out of the brook
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

O miller, I'll gie thee guineas then
With a hey down, bow down
O miller, I'll gie thee guineas then
If thoul't fetch me back to my father again
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

The miller he took her guineas ten
With a hey down, bow down
The miller he took her guineas ten
And he pushed the fair maid in agen
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

But the Crowner he came and the Justice too
With a hey down, bow down
But the Crowner he came and the Justice too
With a hue and a cry and a hullabaloo
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

They hanged the miller beside his own gate
With a hey down, bow down
They hanged the miller beside his own gate
For drowning the varmer's daughter Kate
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

The sister she fled beyond the seas
With a hey down, bow down
The sister she fled beyond the seas
And died an old maid among black savagees
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me

So I've ended my tale of the West Countree
With a hey down, bow down
So I've ended my tale of the West Countree
And they calls it the Barkshire Tragedee
And I'll be true to my love
If my love'll be true to me