The ToneWay® Project: helping people play music


Willie Moore

Willie 5 Moore was a king, his 1 age twenty-one
He 5 courted a damsel fair
Oh, her 1 eyes were as bright as the diamonds in the night
And 5 wavy (4) black was her 1 hair

He courted her both night and day
'Til to marry they did agree
But when he came to get her parents' consent
They said it could never be

She threw herself in Willie Moore's arms
As ofttimes had done before
But little did he think when they parted that night
Sweet Annie he would see no more

It was about the tenth of May
The time I remember well
That very same night her body disappeared
In a way no tongue could tell

Sweet Annie was loved both far and near
Had friends most all around
And in the little brook before the cottage door
The body of sweet Annie was found

She was taken by her weeping friends
And carried to her parent's room
And there she was dressed in a shroud of snowy white
And laid in a lonely tomb

Her parents now are left alone
One mourns and the other one weeps
And in a fresh-made mound before the cottage door
The body of sweet Annie still sleeps

This song was composed in the cloudy West
By a man you may never have seen
Oh, I'll tell you his name but it is not in full
His initials are J.R.G


A song from the The ToneWay Mountain Music Collection, which offers lyrics and free Song Clips (recordings for learning the song by ear) for nearly 400 traditional songs, many of which are often heard in bluegrass and old-time jam circles. The ToneWay Project also offers songbooks, CDs, and a free online video series for learning to play music by ear. http://ToneWay.com