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As I walked out of St. James' Hospital,
St. James' Hospital early one morn;
I spied my only fairest daughter,
Wrapped up in white linen as cold as the clay.
So, beat your drums slowly and play your pipes lowly,
And play the dead march as you bear me along;
Take me to the churchyard and throw the ground over me,
For I'm a young maiden and I know I've done wrong.
Once on the street I used to look handsome,
Once on the street I used to dress gay;
'Twas first to the ale house, then to the dance hall,
Then to the poor house, and now to my grave.
Oh, come, dear mother, and sit beside me,
Oh, sit beside me and pity my case;
For my head it is aching, my heart it is breaking,
With sore lamentations I know I've done wrong.
Oh, send for the minister to pray o'er my body,
Oh, send for the doctor to heal up my wounds;
Oh, send for the young man that first came to court me,
That I may see him before I am gone.
Oh, send for the young sailors to carry my coffin,
Oh, send for a young man to sing me a song;
Get four pretty maidens with a bunch of red roses,
To place on my coffin as you carry me along.
So, beat your drums slowly and play your pipes lowly,
And play the dead march as you bear me along;
Take me to the churchyard and throw the ground over me,
For I'm a young maiden and I know I've done wrong.
This variant of Annie Franklin is closely related to early texts collected in the Canadian Maritimes and Maine, and was recorded by (Albert) Wade Hemsworth accompanying himself on guitar as he learned it in the Canadian North Woods (Folk Songs Of The Canadian North Woods, 1955, Folk FP 821). It is also found in The Great Canadian Tunebook published on-line by Barry Taylor.
