World Gone Wrong

Oh, there was a wealthy merchant, in london he did dwell.
He had a lovely daughter, the truth to you i'll tell,
Oh, the truth to you i'll tell.

She had sweethearts a-plenty and men of high degree.
There was none but jackie frazier, her true love e'er to be,
Oh, her true love e'er to be.

"oh daughter, oh daughter, your body i will confine.
If none but jack the sailor would ever suit your mind,
Oh, would ever suit your mind.

"this body you may imprison, my heart you can't confine.
There's none but jack the sailor would have this heart of mine,
Oh, would have this heart of mine.

Now jackie's gone sailing with trouble on his mind.
To leave his native country and his darling girl behind,
Oh, his darling girl behind.

She went into the tailor shop and dressed in men's array,
Then she went into the vessel to convey herself away,
Oh, convey herself away.

"before you step onboard, sir, your name i'd like to know."
She smiled all in her countenance, said, "they call me jack-a-roe,
Oh, they call me jack-a-roe."

"your waist is light and slender, your fingers neat and small,
Your cheeks too red and rosy for to face the cannonball,
Oh, to face the cannonball.

"i know my waist is slender and my fingers they are small,
But they would not make me tremble for to see ten thousand fall,
Oh, to see ten thousand fall."

The war soon being over, they hunted all around.
Among the dead and dying her darling love she found,
Oh, her darling love she found.

She picked him up all in her arms and carries him to town,
And sent for her physician to quickly heal his wounds,
Oh, to quickly heal his wounds.

This couple, they got married, so well they did agree,
This couple they got married, so why not you and me,
Oh, so why not you and me.

1. "get down, get down, love henry," she cried.
"and stay all night with me.
I have gold chains, and the finest i have
I'll apply them all to thee."

2. "i can't get down and i shan't get down,
Or stay all night with thee.
Some pretty little girl in cornersville
I love far better than thee."

3. he layed his head on a pillow of down.
Kisses she gave him three.
With a penny knife that she held in her hand
She murdered mortal he.

Instrumental

4. "get well, get well, love henry, " she cried,
"get well, get well," said she.
"oh don't you see my own heart's blood
Come flowin' down so free?"

5. she took him by his long yellow hair,
And also by his feet.
She plunged him into well water, where
It runs both cold and deep.

6. "lie there, lie there, love henry," she cried,
"til the flesh rots off your bones.
Some pretty little girl in cornersville
Will mourn for your return."

Instrumental

7. "hush up, hush up, my parrot," she cried,
"and light on my right knee.
The doors to your cage shall be decked with gold
And hung on a willow tree."

9. "i won't fly down, i can't fly down
And light on your right knee.
A girl who would murder her own true love
Would kill a little birdlike me."

He was just a blue-eyed boston boy,
His voice was low with pain.
"i'll do your bidding, comrade mine,
If i ride back again.
But if you ride back and i am left,
You'll do as much for me,
Mother, you know, must hear the news,
So write to her tenderly.

"she's waiting at home like a patient saint,
Her fond face pale with woe.
Her heart will be broken when i am gone,
I'll see her soon, i know."
Just then the order came to charge,
For an instance hand touched hand.
They said, "aye," and away they rode,
That brave and devoted band.

Straight was the track to the top of the hill,
The rebels they shot and shelled,
Plowed furrows of death through the toiling ranks,
And guarded them as they fell.
There soon came a horrible dying yell
From heights that they could not gain,
And those whom doom and death had spared
Rode slowly back again.

But among the dead that were left on the hill
Was the boy with the curly hair.
The tall dark man who rode by his side
Lay dead beside him there.
There's no one to write to the blue-eyed girl
The words that her lover had said.
Momma, you know, awaits the news,
And she'll only know he's dead.

1. lord, i'm broke, i'm hungry, ragged and dirty too,
Broke and hungry, ragged and dirty too.
If i clean up, sweet momma, can i stay all night with you?

2. lord, i went to my window, babe, i couldn't see through my blinds,
Went to my window, babe, i couldn't see through my blinds,
Heard my best friend a-comin' and i thought i heard my baby cry.

3. lord, if i can't come in here, baby, then just let me sit down in your door,
If i can't come in here, baby, then just let me sit down in your door,
And i would leave so soon that your man won't never know.

4. how can i live here, baby, lord, and feel at ease?
How can i live here, baby, lord, and feel at ease?
Well, that woman i got, man, she does just what she feels.

5. lord, you shouldn't mistreat me, baby, because i'm young and wild,
Shouldn't mistreat me, baby, because i'm young and wild.
You must always remember, baby, you was once a child.

6. 'cause i'm leaving in the morning, if i have to ride the blinds,
Leaving in the morning, if i have to ride the blinds.
Well, i been mistreated and i swear i don't mind dyin'

Hawlin alley on a dark and drizzly night,
Billy lyons and stack-a-lee had one terrible fight.
All about that john b. stetson hat.

Stack-a-lee walked to the bar-room, and he called for a glass of beer,
Turned around to billy lyons, said, "what are you doin' here?"
"waitin' for a train, please bring my woman home.

"stack-a-lee, oh stack-a-lee. please don't take my life.
Got three little children and a-weepin', lovin' wife.
You're a bad man, bad man, stack-a-lee."

"god bless your children and i'll take care of your wife.
You stole my john b., now i'm bound to take your life."
All about that john b. stetson hat.

Stack-a-lee turned to billy lyons and he shot him right through the head,
Only taking one shot to kill billy lyons dead.
All about that john b. stetson hat.

Sent for the doctor, well the doctor he did come,
Just pointed out stack-a-lee, said, "now what have you done?"
You're a bad man, bad man, stack-a-lee."

Six big horses and a rubber-tired hack,
Taking him to the cemetery, buy they failed to bring him back.
All about that john b. stetson hat.

Hawlin alley, thought i heard the bulldogs bark.
It must have been old stack-a-lee stumbling in the dark.
He's a bad man, gonna land him right back in jail.

High police walked on to stack-a-lee, he was lying fast asleep.
High police walked on to stack-a-lee, and he jumped forty feet.
He's a bad man, gonna land him right back in jail.

Well they got old stack-a-lee and they laid him right back in jail.
Couldn't get a man around to go stack-a lee's bail
All about that john b. stetson hat.

Stack-a-lee turned to the jailer, he said, "jailer, i can't sleep.
'round my bedside billy lyons began to creep."
All about that john b. stetson hat.