Historical Folk Lyrics
"Reilly The Fisherman"

As I roved out one evening down by a riverside,
I spied a lovely fair maid as the tears fell from her eyes.
This is a cold and stormy night, these words she then did say:
My love is on the raging sea, bound to Amerikee.

My love he was a fisherman, his age was scarce eighteen;
He was as smart a young man as ever yet was seen,
My father he had riches great and Reilly he was poor;
Because I loved that fisherman he could not me endure.

John O'Reilly was my true love's name, lived near the town of Bray.
My mother took me by the hand, these words to me did say:
If you are fond of Reilly you must quit his company,
For your father swears he'll take his life, so shun his company.

0 mother dear, now don't be severe. Where will you send my love?
For my very heart lies in his breast as constant as a dove.
0 daughter dear, I'm not severe; here is one thousand pounds.
Send Reilly to Amerikee and purchase there some land.

When Ellen got the money, to Reilly she did run,
Says: This very night to take your life my father charged the gun,
Saying: Here's one thousand pounds in gold my mother sent to you,
So sail away to Amerikay and I will follow you.

He was not long a-sailing, a-sailing along the shore,
When Reilly he came back again to take his love on board.
The ship was wrecked, all hands were lost, and her father grieved full sore
To see John Reilly in her arms as she drowned upon the shore.

'Twas in her bosom a note was found and it was wrote in blood,
Saying: Cruel must my father be when he tried to shoot my love.
So let this now be a warning to all fair maids sogay;
Don't never let the lad you love sail to Amerikay.