Butcher's Boy

In London City, where I did dwell
A blue-eyed boy I love so well
He courted me my life away
And with me then he would not stay

There is a strange girl in this town
And there my true love sits him down
He takes this strange girl on his knee
And he tells to her what he won't tell me

It's grief to me, and I'll tell you why
Because she has more gold than I
But gold will melt and silver fly
True-hearted love will never die

I went upstairs to go to bed
And nothing to my mother said
But mother said, you're acting queer
What is the trouble, my daughter dear

Oh mother dear, you need not know
The pain and sorrow, grief and woe
Give me a chair and sit me down
With pen and ink to write words down

Go dig my grave both wide and deep
Place marble at my head and feet
And on my grave place a willow tree
That he may mourn and weep for me

And when her father first came home
Where is my girl, where has she gone
He went upstairs, the door he broke
And he found her hanging from a rope

He took his knife and he cut her down
And in her bosom these words were found
A silly girl am I, you know
To hang myself for the butcher's boy