The ToneWay® Project: helping people play music


Two Sweethearts

A crowd of young fellas one night at a ball
Were 4 telling of sweethearts they'd 1 had
4 All seemed hardy ex- 1 cept one lad
Who 5 seemed downhearted and sad
Come 1 join us Ned, his comrades then said
4 Surely some girl has loved 1 you
Then 4 raising his head, 1 proudly he said
5 I'm in love with 1 two

One has hair of silver gray
The other one is just like gold
One is young and youthful too
The other is aged and old
But dearer than life are they both to me
From neither would I part
One is my mother, God bless her, I love her
The other one is my sweetheart

My sweetheart is a poor working girl
Whom I'm determined to wed
Father says no, 'twill never be so
You must marry an heiress instead
Mother was young, she knows how it is
When father met her she was poor
Ned, don't fret, she'll be your wife yet
For he will consent I am sure


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