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Come over the hills, my bonny Irish lass,
Come over the hills to your darling;
You choose the rose, love, and I'll make the vow,
And I'll be your true love forever.
Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows,
Fair is the lily of the valley;
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne,
And my love is fairer than any.
'Twas down by Killarney's green woods that we strayed,
The moon and the stars they were shining;
The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair,
She swore she'd be my love forever.
Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows,
Fair is the lily of the valley;
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne,
And my love is fairer than any.
It's not for the parting that my sister pains,
It's not for the grief of my mother;
It's all for the loss of my bonny Irish lass,
That my heart is breaking forever.
Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows,
Fair is the lily of the valley;
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne,
And my love is fairer than any.
Liner notes: This was one of the first songs that we learned as a trio. It's a beautiful Irish traditional love song that we've been singing for years and it's still one of our favourite songs to perform in concert.
A variant was also recorded as Red Is The Rose by old-style Irish traditional singer Joe Heaney [1919-1984] who claimed his grandfather taught him this tradiional Irish lament.
