| Lyrics: | When I was a wee thing, I heard my mother say
That I was meant for rambling and would easy go
astray
And before that I would work, I would rather sport and play
With my Johnny on the
banks of red roses
On the banks of red roses, my love and I sat doon
He took out his
tuning box to play his love a tune
In the middle of the tune, his love got up and cried
Oh
Johnny, lovely Johnny, would you leave me?
So they walked and they talked until they came
upon a cave
Where the night before her darling had spent digging on her grave
Aye, the
night before her darling had spent digging on her grave
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of red
roses
Oh no, oh no, cried she, that grave's not meant for me
Yes, oh yes, my darling,
that your bridal bed shall be
Yes, oh yes, my darling, that your bridal bed shall be
And
he's made her to lie down on red roses
And all on his way homeward, his heart was filled
with fear
Every maid he came upon, he thought it was his dear
Yes, every maid he came
upon, he thought it was his dear
Who he made to lie down on red roses
Recorded by
Jean Redpath. Probable source : Hamish Henderson.
also by Buffy Ste Marie on Many a Mile |
