Brian Peters - The Banks of Green Willow lyrics

Oh it's of a sea captain lived by the sea-side And he's courted of a lady till she's proved by child "Go and fetch some of your father's gold and some of your mother's money To sail across the ocean along with young Johnny." Now they hadn't been a-sailing six days, no, not many Before she needed woman's help but could not get any And they hadn't been a-sailing a mile, or not many Before she was delivered of a beautiful baby Now they hadn't sailed on for today and tomorrow She was wringing of her hands, she was crying with sorrow But, oh, says the captain, "My ship will not sail for me Though the sails are outspread she lies still on the salt sea." "O Captain, O Captain, here's fifty gold pounds To take me back safe again, to turn the ship round "Oh no," says the captain, "such a thing it never can be For ‘tis better to lose two lives than it is to lose many." "Then bring me a silk napkin and bind my head easy And throw me right overboard, both me and my baby." So he's brought a silk napkin and bound it so softly And he's thrown her right overboard both her and her baby "Oh, fetch me the lifeboat and row her back to me Oh, bring my love back again, both she and her baby Ah, but see, boys, how she do tumble and see how she do taver I'm afraid that she is drowning, which makes my heart quaver "Well, I will write me a letter, tell her friends that my love is drowned And she shall have a coffin if she ever is found And her coffin shall be made of the gold shining yellow And she will be buried on the banks of green willow." And her coffin shall be made of the gold shining yellow And she will be buried on the banks of green willow