From the album 'Very Early Joan'
[Introduction]
C Am C
[Verse 1]
C Am
There was a Lady and a Lady gay
Am C
Of children she had three
C
She sent them away to the North Countree
C Am
To learn their grammaree
[Verse 2]
C Am
They'd not been gone but a very short time
Am C
Scarcely three weeks and a day
C
When death, cruel death, came harkening along
C Am
And stole those babes away
[Verse 3]
C Am
"There is a King in Heaven," she cried
C
"A King of third degree
C
Send back, send back my three little babes
C Am
This night send them back to me."
[Verse 4]
C Am
She made a bed in the uppermost room
Am C
On it she put a white sheet
C
And over the top a golden spread
C Am
That they much better might sleep
[Verse 5]
Am C Am
"Take it off, take it off," cried the older one
Am C
"Take it off, take it off," cried he
C
"For what's to become of this wide wicked world
C Am
Since sin has first begun."
[Verse 6]
C Am
She set a table of linen fine
Am C
On it she placed bread and wine
C
Come eat come drink my three little babes
C Am
"Come eat, come drink of mine."
[Verse 7]
C Am
"We want none of your bread, mother
Am C
Neither do we want your wine
C
For yonder stands our Savior dear
C Am
To Him we must resign."
[Verse 8]
C Am
"Green grass is over our heads, mother
Am C
Cold clay is over our feet
C
And every tear you shed for us
C Am
It wets our winding-sheet."