Wife of Usher’s Well
Traditional
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There was a woman and she lived alone
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And babies, she had three
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She sent them away to the North Countrie
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To learn their grammarie
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They'd not been gone but a very short time
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Scarcely six weeks to the day
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When death, cold death, spread through the land
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And swept them babes away
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She prayed to the Lord in Heaven above
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Wearing a starry crown:
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Oh send to me my three little babes
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Tonight or in the morning soon
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It was very close to Christmas time
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The night was long and cold
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And the very next morning, at the break of day
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Them babies come a-running home
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She set the table for them to eat
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Upon it spread both bread and wine:
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Come eat, come drink, my three little babes
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Come eat, come drink of mine
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Oh mother, we cannot eat your bread
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Neither can we drink your wine
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For the morrow morning at the break of day
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Our Saviour we must rejoin
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She made the bed in the back-a-most room
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Upon it laid a golden sheet
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Upon the top a golden spread
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For to help them babes asleep
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Rise up, rise up – said the eldest one
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Rise up, rise up – said he
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For tomorrow morn, at the break of day
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Our Saviour must we see
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Cold clods of clay roll o'er our heads
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Green grass grows on our feet
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And our sweet tears, my mother dear
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Will wet our winding sheet