Category Archives: Lyrics

Awake, Awake

Awake, awake, you drowsy sleeper.
Awake, awake, it is almost day.
How can you sleep, you cruel creature.
Since you have stolen my heart away?

Oh hush, hush, hush, don’t you wake my mother.
No songs of love will she let me hear.
If you sing songs, go, pray court some other,
Or whisper lowly in my ear.

My father lies in the next room, simple
Taking of his natural rest.
And in his right hand he holds a weapon
He says he’ll kill the one I love best.

Come Polly Bawn, come, you’ll stop my pining.
Sit you down by the side of me.
And put your loving arms around me,
And say you’ll love no one but me.

I’ll go with you in some lonesome valley,
And there I’ll spend my days with you..
Though all my meals will be of the freshest berries,
And the water I drink of the morning dew

Pretty flowers was made to bloom, love.
Pretty stars was made to shine.
Pretty girls was made for boys to love,
And maybe you was made for mine.

Gypsen Davy

It was late one night when the squire came home
Inquiring for his lady.
A serving woman answered him
She’s gone with the gypsen Davy.

(Chorus)
Rada tada tim, tada tim, tada tim, tada
Rada tada tim, die-aisy
Rada tada tim, sing liddle diddle din
Sing liddle diddle gypsen Davy.

Go saddle me my milk white steed
The black one ain’t so speedy
I’ll ride all night til the broad daylight
And I’ll overtake my lady.

(Chorus)

He rode til he came unto the town
He rode til he come to Barley.
The tears came rolling down his cheeks
And there he spied his lady.

(Chorus)

Oh come, go back my own true love,
Oh come, go back my honey.
I swear by the sword that hangs by my side
You shall never lack for money.

(Chorus)

I won’t come back your own true love.
I won’t go back your honey.
For I’d rather have a kiss from a gypsen’s lips
Than all your lands and money.

(Chorus)

Then hand me back those high-heeled shoes
Made of Spanish leather.
And give to me your lily white hand
And we’ll bid goodbye forever.

(Chorus)

She handed him those high-heeled shoes
Made of Spanish leather
And she gave to him her lily-white hand
And they bade goodbye forever.

(Chorus)

Last night I lay in a feather bed
Between my husband and baby
Tonight I’ll lay on the cold, cold, ground.
In the arms of the Gypsen Davy

East Virginia

I was born in old East Virginia,
North Carolina I did roam.
There I met me a fair, pretty maiden.
What was her age, I did not know.

Her hair it was of a dark brown curly,
And her lips, a rosy red.
On her breast she wore a ribbon.
Oh, the tears that I have shed.

Her papa said that we might marry.
Her mama said it would not do.
Some dark night if you’ll take a ramble
I will run away with you.

For I’d rather be in some dark holler
Where the sun refuse to shine.
As for you to be another man’s woman,
Never on earth to call you mine.

Black is the Color

Black is the color of my true love’s hair
His face is like some rosy fair
With the prettiest face, and the neatest hands
I love the ground whereon he stands

I love my love and well he knows
I love the ground whereon he goes
If you no more on earth I see
I can’t serve you as you have me

The winter’s passed and the leaves are green
The time has passed that we have seen
Still I hope the day will come
when you and I shall be as one

I go to the Clyde for to mourn and weep
but satisfied I never could sleep
I’ll write for you a few short lines
And I’d suffer death 10,000 times

So fair-the-well my own true love
Our time has passed but I wish you well
Still I hope the day will come
When you and I shall be as one

I love my love, and well he knows
I love the ground whereon he goes
If you no more on earth I see
I can’t serve you as you have me

Sail Away, Ladies

Ever I get my new house done,
Sail away, ladies, sail away.
Give my old one to my son,
Sail away, ladies, sail away.

(Chorus)
Don’t you rock die-dy-0,
Don’t you rock die-dy-0,
Don’t you rock die-dy-0,
Don’t you rock die-dy-0.

I’ve got a home in Tennessee,
Sail away, ladies, sail away.
It’s a place I wanna be,
Sail away, ladies, sail away.

(Chorus)

Come along, boys, and go witb me,
Sail away, ladies, sail away.
We’ll go back to Tennessee,
Sail away, ladies, sail away.

(Chorus)

Ever I get my new house done,
Sail away, ladies, sail away.
Love you pretty girls one by one.
Sail away, ladies, sail away.

(Chorus)

Chew tobacco and spit out chew.
Sail away, ladies, sail away.
I love a woman, but it ain’t no use
Sail away, ladies, sail away.

(Chorus)

Ain’t no use to sit and cry
Sail away, ladies, sail away.
You’ll be an angel by an’ by,
Sail away, ladies, sail away,

(Chorus)

Come All You Fair & Tender Ladies

Come all ye fair and tender ladies,
Take warning how you court young men,
They’re like the stars on a summer’s morning,
First they appear and then they’re gone.

My daddy is a handsome devil,
He’s got a chain five miles long,
And on every link a heart does dangle,
Of another maid he’s loved and wronged.

If I’d a known before I courted,
I never would have courted none,
I’d a locked my heart in a box of golden,
And fastened it up with a silver pin. I wish I were a little sparrow,
And I had wings and I could fly,
I’d fly away to my own false lover,
And when he’s talking I’d draw nigh,

But I am not a little sparrow,
I have no wings, nor can I fly,
I’ll sit right here, and weep in sorrow,
And try to pass my troubles by.

Texas Rangers

Come all you Texas Rangers, wherever you may be.
I’ll tell you of some troubles that happened unto me.
My name is nothin’ extra, so that I will not tell,
And here’s to all you Rangers, I’m sure I wish you well.

‘Twas at the age of seventeen I joined the jolly band.
We marched from San Antonio unto the Rio Grande.
Our captain he informed us, perhaps he thought it right,
“Before we reach the station, boys, we’ll surely have to fight.”

And when the bugle sounded, our captain gave command.
“To arms, to arms!” he shouted, “and by your horses stand!”
I saw the smoke ascending, it seemed to reach the sky,
And then the thought it struck me, my time had come to die.

I saw the Indians coming, I heard them give a yell.
My feelings at that moment no human tongue can tell.
I saw their glittering lances, their arrows ’round me flew,
And all my strength had left me, and all my courage too.

We fought for nine hours fully, before the strife was o’er.
The likes of dead and wounded I never saw before.
And when the sun had risen, and the Indians they had fled,
We loaded up our rifles, and counted up our dead.

And all of us were wounded, our noble captain slain.
The sun was shining sadly across that bloody plain.
Sixteen of braver Rangers than ever rode the West
Were buried by their comrades with arrows in their breast.

And now my song has ended, I’m sure I’ve sung enough.
The life of any Ranger you see is very tough.
And if you’ve got a mother that don’t want you to roam,
I advise you by experience, you’d better stay at home.

My Dearest Dear

My dearest dear, the time draws near
When you and I must part
And no one knows the inner grief
Of my poor aching heart
Or what I suffered for your sake
The one I love so dear
I wish’t that I might go with you
Or you might tarry here

I wish’t your breast was made of glass
And in it I’d behold
My name in secret I would write
In letters of bright gold
My name in secret I would write
Believe me when I say
You are the man that I love best
Unto my dying day

And when you’re on some distant shore
Think on your absent friend
And when the wind blows high and clear
A line to me pray send
And when the wind blows high and clear
Pray send it love to me
That I may know by thy hand-write
How times has gone with thee

Peg and Awl

In the days of eighteen and one,
Peg and awl. In the days of eighteen and one,
Peg and awl.
In the days of eighteen and one,
Peggin’ shoes was all I done.
Hand me down my peg, my awl, my peg and awl.

In the days of eighteen and two,
Peg and awl.
In the days of eighteen and two,
Peg and awl.
In the days of eighteen and two,
Peggin’ shoes was all I’d do.
Hand me down my peg and awl, my peg and awl.

They’ve invented a new machine,
Peg and awl.
They’ve invented a new machine,
Peg and awl,
They’ve invented a new machine.
It’s the prettiest little thing I ever seen.
I’ll throw away my peg, my awl, my peg and awl.

In the days of eighteen and three,
Peg and awl.
In the days of eighteen and three,
Peg and awl.
In the days of eighteen and three
New machine has set me free.
I’ll throw away my peg, my peg and awl.

They’ve invented a new machine,
Peg and awl.
They invented a new machine,
Peg and awl
They invented a new machine
Prettiest little thing I ever seen
I’ll throw away my peg, my awl, my peg and awl.

In the days of eighteen and four,
Peg and awl.
In the days of eighteen and four,
Peg and awl.
In the days of eighteen and four,
Peggin’ shoes I’ll do no more.
I’ll throw away my peg, my awl, my peg and awl.

Darlin’ Corey

Wake up, wake up Darlin’ Corey
What makes you sleep so sound?
Them revenue officers are coming
Gonna tear your still-house down

The first time I saw Darlin’ Corey
She was standing by the banks of the sea
She had a 44 pistol strapped around her
And a banjo on her knee

Go away, go away, Darlin’ Corey,
Quit hanging around my bed
Pretty women run me distracted,
Corn likker killing me most dead

Go away, go away, Darlin’ Corey
Go do the best you can
I found me another woman
Go find you another man

Oh yes, oh yes, my darlin’,
I’ll do the best I can
But I ain’t gonna waste my pleasure
On another gamblin’ man

The last time I saw Darlin’ Corey
She had a dram glass in her hand
She was a drinking away her troubles
With a low-down gamblin’ man

Dig a hole, dig a hole in the meadow
Dig a hole in the cold, cold ground
Go dig me a hole in the meadow
Gotta lay my Darlin’ Corey down.