THE BANKS OF THE ROSES

 

Chorus:

On the banks of the roses my love and I sat down
And I took out my fiddle for to play my love a tune
In the middle of the tune she sighed and she said
Dear Johnny, lovely Johnny would you leave me

 When I was a younger one I heard my father say
That he’d rather see me dead and buried in the clay
Sooner than be married to any runaway
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses

 Chorus:

 Well the I am the runaway and soon I let them know
That I can take the bottle or can leave it alone
And if her daddy doesn’t like us, he can keep his daughter home
And Johnny will go roving with another

 Chorus:

 And planned they got married ‘til the end of month of May
When the leaved they are green and the meadows they are gay
And me and my true love we’ll sit and sport and play

By the lovely sweet banks of the roses