8 Sweet William

When I was a rake and a rambling boy, My dying love both here
and there.  A rake, a rake and so I'll be just like the night
she courted me.  I wish I was some black thrush bird.
I'd change my note from bush to bush, its hard to love a 
pretty girl that don't love me.
When sweet William came home at night inquiring for his 
heart's delight
He ran upstairs, the door he borke, found her hung with her own
bed rope.
He drew his knife, he cut her down, and in her right hand
this note he found.
Go dig my grave both deep and wide and bury sweet William
by my side.
The grave was dug the corpse let down and all her friends 
stood weeping round.
Across the grave there flew a dove to testify she died for
love.


The above song was written down about July 1, 1915, by 
Miss Mae Smith, of Sugar Grove, Watauga County, from the singing
of her step-mother, Mrs. Mary Smith, who learned it over
forty years ago.

Thomas Smith