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As I walked down to St. James' Hospital,
St. James' Hospital early one day;
I spied my only fairest daughter,
Wrapped up in white linen as cold as the clay.
So beat your drums and play the fife lowly,
And play the dead march as you carry me along;
Take me to the church yard and lay the sod over me,
I am a young maid and I know I've done wrong.
Once in the street I used to look handsome,
Once in the street I used to dress gay;
First to the ale house, then to the dance hall,
Then to the poor house and now to my grave.
So beat your drums and play the fife lowly,
And play the dead march as you carry me along;
Take me to the church yard and lay the sod over me,
I am a young maid and I know I've done wrong.
Send for the preacher to pray o'er my body,
Send for the doctor to seal up my wounds;
Send for the young man I first fell in love with,
That I may see him before I pass on.
So beat your drums and play the fife lowly,
And play the dead march as you carry me along;
Take me to the church yard and lay the sod over me,
I am a young maid and I know I've done wrong.
Let six pretty maidens with a bunch of red roses,
Six pretty maidens to sing me a song;
Six pretty maidens with a bunch of red roses,
To lay on my coffin as they carry me along.
So beat your drums and play the fife lowly,
And play the dead march as you carry me along;
Take me to the church yard and lay the sod over me,
I am a young maid and I know I've done wrong.
