Banks Of The Roses Lyrics

Banks Of The Roses lyrics

When I was a wee thing, I heard my mother say 
That I was meant for rambling
and would easy go astray 
And before that I would work, I would rather sport
and play 
With my Johnny on the banks of red roses 

On the banks of
red roses, my love and I sat doon 
He took out his tuning box to play his
love a tune 
In the middle of the tune, his love got up and cried 
Oh
Johnny, lovely Johnny, would you leave me? 

So they walked and they
talked until they came upon a cave 
Where the night before her darling had
spent digging on her grave 
Aye, the night before her darling had spent
digging on her grave 
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of red roses 

Oh
no, oh no, cried she, that grave's not meant for me 
Yes, oh yes, my
darling, that your bridal bed shall be 
Yes, oh yes, my darling, that your
bridal bed shall be 
And he's made her to lie down on red roses 

And
all on his way homeward, his heart was filled with fear 
Every maid he came
upon, he thought it was his dear 
Yes, every maid he came upon, he thought
it was his dear 
Who he made to lie down on red roses 

Recorded by
Jean Redpath. Probable source : Hamish Henderson. 
also by Buffy Ste Marie
on Many a Mile