Pete Seeger — The False Knight Upon the Road

There was a youth, and a well bred youth He being a squire's son And he did court an innkeeper's daughter Belonging to North Cumberland Go get me some of your father's gold Part of your mother's fee And we will away to some foreign country And married we will be She went down to her father's stable There stood horses, thirty-three And she picked out a milk-white steed And he, the fast travelling grey She mounted on the milk-white steed He on the fast travelling grey And they rode until they came to a riverside Three hours before it was day Alight, alight, my pretty fair maid Alight, alight, cried he It's six pretty maidens have I drowned-ed here And you the seventh shall be Take off, take off, that silken gown And hand it over to me For I do think your clothing is too good For to rot in the salt, salt sea If I do take off my silken gown And hand it over to you Why I do think it a very great wrong A naked women to view I'll take off my silken gown I'll lay it on the green But before that I do you false young man You must turn your back on me And when he turned his back around And faced yon willow tree With all of the strength that this poor maiden had She shoved him into the sea Lie there, lie there, you false young man Lie there instead of me It's six foolish maidens have you drowned-ed here Go keep them good company And as he rose, and as he sank And as he rose cried he Oh give me your hand, my pretty, pretty polly My bride forever you'll be She mounted on the milk-white steed She led the fast travelling grey She rode until she came to her father's house One hour before it was day Now the parrot was hung in the window so high Where have you been? cried he I've been away to Scotland's bridge Young Henry, he lies under the sea Don't prittle, Don't prattle, my pretty, pretty polly Don't tell no tales on me And you shall have a cage of the very finest gold And be hung on an ivory tree