Historical Folk Lyrics
"The Father In Ambush"

There's a tree in my father's garden, lovely Jimmy, said she,
Where young men and maidens do meet of thee,
Where young men and maidens do take their silent rest,
Meet with their lovely Jimmy, you're the boy I love best.

0 last Saturday evening near the concerning wall [sic]
Where I spied lovely Jimmy, straight, handsome and tall, She said:
Will you come to me a piece down the road
For to view my father's dwelling, it's a place of repose.

Now her father in ambush, in ambush he lay,
A-listening to all that his daughter did say.
0 daughter, dear daughter, I will avenge you,
And 'tis with a long weapon he pierced my love through.

Now then father, cruel father and that was your plan,
The innocent blood of my Jimmy you've slain.
I'll heave myself down in the ground where he lies.
May the heavens shine round him, he's my own darling boy.

0 come dig my love a grave both long, wide and deep,
And I'll plant round him the lily so sweet.
I'll heave myself down on the ground where he lies.
May the heavens shine round him, he's my own darling boy.

0 then green grows the rushes and the tops of them small,
For love it's a killing pain hangs over us all,
For love it's a killing pain like a sword pierced my breast,
And the grave it's the next place I'm in hopes to find rest.