Nic Jones - Lakes of Shillin lyrics

Well it's early one morning Billy Henry arose And straight to his comrade's bed-chamber he goes Saying "Rise loving comrade let nobody know To the dark and chilly waters a-bathing we'll go" Billy instantly stripped and then he went in And he swam the dark waters all round and around Saying "Oh my loving comrade oh don't you go in For I see there is a coffin in the Lakes of Shillin" But the other one he stripped and then he went in And he swam the dark waters all round and around Saying "Oh my loving Billy why did you go in To the dark and chilly waters in the Lakes of Shillin" Now there was an old woman who lived there close by She went to Billy's parents and she made this reply "Well your son he went a-bathing as I've heard him say And now your Billy Henry he's as cold as the clay" And so down came his mother like one in despair She's a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair Saying "Oh my loving Billy why did you go in To the dark and chilly waters in the Lakes of Shillin?" And so down came his father like one in despair He's a-wringing of his hands and a-tearing of his hair Saying "I brought up a family of fine-bodied men And the best of them's drowned in the Lakes of Shillin" So it's down came his sweetheart like one in despair She's a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair Saying "It's six months and better till my wedding day And now me Billy Henry he's as cold as the clay So we'll go round to Martin's to Martin's by the shore And we'll hire us a small boat as we've done before And we'll search the dark waters all around and all round 'til we see that Billy Henry's fair body is found" So they went around to Martin's to Martin's by the shore And they hired them a small boat as they'd done before And they searched the dark waters all around and all round 'til they saw that Billy Henry's fair body was found And for to see Billy's funeral was such a fine sight There was six handsome young men all dressed up in white There was six pretty maidens all dressed up in green Just to show that he'd been drowned in the Lakes of Shillin