I. And a noisy old man is he

And Christe receive thy saule
And my soul is bound for hell
And the springtime promises still forgot
And the springtime sun returns anew

And the warm days of summer seem so far away
Ba-da-pa do da da-ba-pa do da da
But here I am in the raging sea
Can you feel your promises will be true

Every nighte and alle
Fire and fleet and candle-lighte
Flowers will burst of seeds to bloom again
For the springtime promises to come true

Gentle shalls and winkles as before
Gone and left me in sorrow to mourn

II. But now I'm married to a house carpenter

He's gone and left me He's gone and left me
Hidden there, moving fast, it won't last
I'll return victorious and true unto thee
I'll venture through England, through France and through Spain

I'm sure he would treat me well
I see bright hills that tell my dear
It's springtime now, be happy again
It's the time when all promises are now made true

It's wintertime so you've got to wait a while
Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see
Let's get away, you say, find a better place
Look around for someone lying in the sunshine

My fair
My good lord, all off to war in thy armor

III. For I've found him false hearted, he'd kiss me, and then he'd go

My lady, you have no need for to worry
My life I'll venture on the watery main
Marking time, hear the sighs, close your eyes
Miles and miles away from the city's race

Now the new born year has come once more
Once I had a sweetheart and now I have none
Sally go round the roses (sally go round the roses)
Shall stain your heart and lead to woe

Someday all will turn to green again
Star becomes a vision, never mind the meaning
Stepping from cloud to cloud passing years of light
Take care, lest misadventure

The warm days of springtime tell us all is past
This ae nighte, this ae nighte

IV. I'd write to my lover and to all roving men

Visit the frosty stars in the backward flight
Well I wish I was back to my house carpenter
When thou from hence away art past
Where you and I must go

Ba-da-pa do da da-ba-pa do da da
And Christe receive thy saule
Every nighte and alle
Hope this place can't hurt you (hope this place can't hurt you)

If ever thou gavest hosen and shoon
I'll set sail of silver and steer toward the sun
Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see
My life I'll venture on the watery main

My own darling jewel sat smiling by me
Nothing left, far away, dreamers fade

V. Just to see my babes once more

No time to reflect on what the time was spent on
Now a thousand moons are about to die
Roses they can't hurt you (roses they can't hurt you)
Sally don't you go, don't you go downtown

Sally go round the roses (sally go round the pretty roses)
Time passes all too soon, how it rushes by
To Whinny-muir thou com'st at last
After I'm gone, After I'm gone, After I'm gone

And Christe receive thy saule
And my false love will weep, my false love will weep
And the cold days of winter are behind us now
And the springtime promises all come true

Ba-da-pa do da da-ba-pa do da da
But the springtime promises all came true

VI. Keep your father sweet company

But when I awakened I found it not so
Da do da, da, do da
Every nighte and alle
False love will weep for me after I'm gone

Flowers blooming everywhere again
Gone are the curling mists how they all have fled
If hosen and shoon thou ne'er gav'st nane
I'll set sail of silver and steer toward the sun

Is see your baby with another girl
It's summertime now, so please don't throw it away
Look, the door is open, step into the space
My own darling jewel sat smiling by me

O-ver the wa-ter, ah
Provided there

VII. Like a high born lady was she

Saddest thing in the whole wide world
Sally don't you go-o, don't you go downtown
Sally go round, oh Sally don't you go
Sit thee down and put them on

Strange visions pass me by, winging sweetly close inside
Summertime is with us once again
Swirling, the waters rise up above my head
The cold days of winter took the sun away

The sky so blue I don't remember when
Trees and grass and bushes green again
Winterworld is with us once again
And Christe receive thy saule

And the springtime promises soon forgot
And the warm days of summer will they far behind

VIII. Now she dressed herself in her very best

Ba-da-pa do da da-ba-pa do da da
But when I awakened I found it not so
Cassander she's with down the trees of air
Dark and cloudy skies and people in despair

Every nighte and alle
Eyes like some fountain with tears overflowed
Flowers dying everywhere again
From Whinny-muir when thou may'st pass

I'll venture through England, through France and through Spain
My eyes like some fountain with tears overflowed
Oh, don't you go downtown
Once I had a sweetheart and now I have none

Sally don't you go, Don't you go downtown
Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the roses)

IX. On the bank of the river deep

Saddest thing in the whole wide world
See your baby with another girl
The whinnes sall prick thee to the bare bane
And Christe receive thy saule

Every nighte and alle
From Brig o' Dread when thou may'st pass
Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the pretty roses)
They won't tell your secret (they won't tell your secret)

To Brig o' Dread thou com'st at last
And Christe receive thy saule
Every nighte and alle
If ever thou gavest meat or drink

Sally baby cry, let your hair hang down
They won't tell your secret, Oh no won't tell your secret

X. Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the pretty roses)

To Purgatory fire thou com'st at last
And Christe receive thy saule
Every nighte and alle
If meat or drink thou ne'er gav'st nane

Sally baby cry, let your hair hang down
Sit and cry so no one knows
Sit and cry with the door closed
The fire sall never make thee shrink

And Christe receive thy saule
Every nighte and alle
Sally baby cry, let your hair hang down
The fire will burn thee to the bare bane

This ae nighte, this ae nighte
And Christe receive thy saule

XI. That ever did cross the sea

And food did I have and plenty
As I did travel all on a journey
And one drop from this silver and gold horn I hold, sir
And pray tell unto me sir why you do hurry

And there did pass a princely knight poursuite by a lady
And there followed after ten kings and queens
And this she did say: Oh may I ask you kind sir where you are going
(ba-du-dum, ba-ba-badoy)

Bloodied running into the bushes
But the Lord and Lady seemed so sad
Can't you see, can't you feel that burning into my soul
Caught in the basket of light

Chasing a white hart and all through the woodland
Don't you understand

XII. Until she wept for sorrow

Every nighte and alle
Fare thee well, little lady
Fire and fleet and candle-lighte
For these words they did say unto each other

Grasp it so tight
Hanging above a mountain
I gladly would carry to the banquet this even'
I have here a magic horn to deliver

I plume to his helmet, a quiver and a bow
I spied a young man riding a fine horse
Laughing and joking, the white hart they'd seen
Leaving me here alone to weep and to worry

Love is a basket of light
Miles from you

XIII. Well if you had all the gold and the silver too

My good lord, all off to war in thy armor
One and a two, three and a four thousand miles
Over the wayside and under a dark moon
Saddest thing in the whole wide world

Sally baby cry, let your hair hang down
Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the roses)
See your baby with another girl
Shall overcome thy kindly heart

Shall prove all to be false, lovers beware
Shining bright just ain't right to be caught in the night
Still farther I journeyed through the hills and the valleys
Strange that I should meet you here, come sit by me

Take care lest misadventure
The gift that you bear for your brother the king

XIV. You never would be at land anymore

The hunter is fast and ready
There go the hunting and cries
There's nowhere to run now, there's no place to go
Thought I tried my best

To be your man
Trains are carrying me
Until upon the verge of despair I sat and rested
Wearily I crossed the stream to the castle

What fair sport this would be for the maidens at court
Where I found shelter from the cold wintry wind
Sally go round the roses (Sally go round the pretty roses)
About two weeks three or four

And a fine young man was he
And a go along with a me

XV. And they were far away from the shore

And gave them kisses three
(but) Will you forsake your house carpenter
I met my own true love as he came that way
Said, Stay at home you darling little babes

The Cuckoo is a pretty bird, she sings as she flies
Well I have seven ships
And she never sings "cuckoo" till summer draweth near
But will you have to maintain me a bound

I see bright hills of heaven my dear
She bringeth good tidings, she telleth no lies
They will soon be at land
Well I once could have married the king's third son

And they at your command shall be
I will take you to where the grass grows green

XVI. I would wish them have pity on the flower, when it dies

And your babes you will never more see
I wish I was a scholar and could handle the pen
She shivered and she shimmered and she proudly stepped
Though the meeting him was pleasure, though the courting was woe

Well she hadn't been gone but a short, short time
As I once was a-walking and talking one day
I would give all the gold in this round world
She sucketh white flowers for to keep her voice clear

To keep me at in slavery
Well they hadn't been sailing but a short, short time
As they walked by the banks of the sea
I would tell them of the grief and woe that attend on their lies

She took her two babes by the hand
When the ship sprang a leak and they were doomed

03/16/2014

Posted on 03/17/2014
Copyright © 2026 Jim Benz