Joan Baez - Joan Baez, Vol. 2 Album Lyrics

(Traditional)

Oh, hard is the fortune of all woman kind
She's always controlled, she's always confined
Controlled by her parents until she's a wife
A slave to her husband the rest of her life

Oh, I'm just a poor girl my fortune is sad
I've always been courted by the Wagoner's lad
He's courted me daily, by night and by day
And now he is loading and going away

Oh, my parents don't like him because he is poor
They say he's not worthy of entering my door
He works for a living, his money's his own
And if they don't like it they can leave him alone

Oh, your horses are hungry, go feed them some hay
Then sit down here by me as long as you may
My horses aint hungry, they won't eat your hay
So fare thee well darlin I'll be on my way

Oh, your wagon needs greasing your whip is to mend
Then sit down here by me as long as you can
My wagon is greasy, my whip's in my hand
So fare thee well darlin, no longer to stand

(Traditional)

The trees they grow high,
The leaves they do grow green
Many is the time my true love I've seen
Many an hour I have watched him all alone
He's young,
But he's daily growing

Father, dear father,
You've done me great wrong
You have married me to a boy who is too young
I'm twice twelve and he is but fourteen
He's young,
But he's daily growing

Daughter, dear daughter,
I've done you no wrong
I have married you to a great lord's son
He'll make a lord for you to wait upon
He's young,
But he's daily growing

Father, dear father, if you see fit
We'll send him to college for one year yet
I'll tie blue ribbons all around his head
To let the maidens know that he's married

One day I was looking o'er my father's castle wall
I spied all the boys as playing with the ball
My own true love was the flower of them all
He's young, but he's daily growing

At the age of fourteen, he was a married man
At the age of fifteen, the father of a son
At the age of sixteen, his grave it was green
And death had put an end to his growing

Arrangement by Joan Baez

When first I came to Louisville
Some pleasure there to find
A damsel there from Lexington
Was pleasing to my mind
Her rosy cheeks, her ruby lips
Like arrows pierced my breast
And the name she bore was Flora
The Lily Of The West

I courted lovely Flora
Some pleasure there to find
She turned unto another man
Which sore distressed my mind
She robbed me of my liberty
Deprived me of my rest
Still I love my faithless Flora
The Lily Of The West

Down in yonder shady grove
A man of lowly breed
Conversing with my Flora there
It seemed so strange to me
And the answer that she gave to him
It sure did me oppress
I was betrayed by Flora
The Lily Of The West

I stepped up to my rival
My dagger in my hand
I grabbed him by the collar and
I boldly made him stand
Being mad to desperation I pierced him in the breast
All for my lovely Flora
The Lily Of The West

I had to stand my trial
I had to make my plea
They placed me in the criminal box
And then commenced on me
Although she swore my life away
Deprived me of my rest
And I still love my faithless Flora
The Lily Of The West

An earthly nurse sits and sings,
And aye she sings a lily wean -
"Little ken I my bairn's father,
Far less the land that he dwells in."

For he's come one night to her bed's foot
And a grumly guest I'm sure he'd be,
Saying, "Here am I, thy bairn's father,
Although I be not comely.

"I am a man upon the land,
I am a silkie in the sea,
And when I'm far and far from land,
My home it is the sule skerrie."

And he has ta'en a purse of gold,
And set it softly on her knee,
Saying, "Give to me my little young son
And take thee up thy nurse's fee.

"And I will come one summer's day
When the sun shine's bright on every stane,
I'll come and take my little young son,
And teach him how to swim the faem.

"And ye shall marry a gunner bold,
And a right fine gunner I'm sure he'll be,
And the very first shot that ever he shoots
Will kill both my young son and me."

(Traditional)

Along came the FFV the swiftest on the line
Running o'er the C&O road just twenty minutes behind
Running into Sou'ville headquarters on the line
Receiving there strict orders from a station just behind

Georgie's mother came to him with a bucket on her arm
Saying my darling son be careful how you run
For many a man has lost his life in trying to make lost time
And if you run your engine right you'll get there just on time

Up the road he darted against the rocks he crashed
Upside down the engine turned and Georgie's breast was smashed
His head lay against the firebox door the flames were rolling high
I'm glad to be born for an engineer on the C&O road to die

The doctor said to Georgie my darling boy lie still
Your life may yet be saved if it is God's blessed will
Oh no said George that will not do I want to die so free
I want to die with the engine I love one hundred and forty three

The doctor said to Georgie your life cannot be saved
Murdered upon a railroad and laid in a lonesome grave
His face was covered up with blood his eyes they could not see
And the very last words poor Georgie said was nearer my God to thee

(Traditional)

Once I knew a pretty girl
I loved her as my life
I'd gladly give my heart and hand
To make her my wife
Ooh, to make her my wife

She took me by the hand
She led me to the door
She put her arms around me
Saying, "Please don't come no more"
Ooh, Please, come no more

Well, I'd not been gone
But about six months
When she did complain
And she wrote me a letter
Saying, "please come back again."
Ooh, Please, come again

So I sent her an answer
Just for to let her know
That no young man should venture
Where once he could not go
Ooh, Where once he could not go.

So come all you young lovers
Take a warning from me
And never hang your affections
On a green, growing tree
Ooh, on a green, growing tree

For the leaves they will wither
Roots will decay
And the beauty of a young girl
Will soon fade away
Ooh, will soon fade away

(Traditional)

Look up and down that lonesome road,
Hang down your head and cry - my Lord!
Hang down your head and cry

They say all good friends must part sometimes
Why not you and I (my Lord)
Why not you and I

I wish to the Lord that I've never been born,
Or died when I was a baby, my Lord!
Or died when I was a baby

I would've not been here eating this cold cold bread
And supping this salty gravy, my Lord!
And supping this salty gravy

I wish to the Lord that I've never seen your face,
Heard your lying tongue, my Lord!
Heard your lying tongue

So look up and down that lonesome road,
All our friends have gone, my Lord!
And you and I must go

Look up and down that lonesome road,
Hang down your head and cry - my Lord!
Hang down your head and cry

(Traditional)

I asked my love to take a walk,
To take a walk, just a little walk,
Down beside where the waters flow,
Down by the banks of the old ohio.

And only say that you'll be mine
In no others arms entwine,
Down beside where the waters flow,
Down by the banks of the old ohio.

I held a knife against her brest
As ino my arms she pressed,
She cried, "oh, willie, don't murder me,
I'm not prepeared for eternity."

And only say that you'll be mine
In no others arms entwine
Down beside where the waters flow
Down by the banks of the old ohio

I started home 'tween twelve and one,
I cried, "my god, what have I done?
Killed the only woman I loved,
Because she would not be my bride."

And only say that you'll be mine
In no others arms entwine,
Down beside where the waters flow,
Down by the banks of the old ohio.

(Traditional)

In the night, while you lay sleeping
Dreaming of your amber skies
Was a poor boy broken hearted
Listening to the winds that sigh

My little darling, oh how, I love you
How I love you, none can tell
In your heart you love another
Little darling, pal of mine

Many a day, with you I've rambled
Happiest hours, with you I've spent
For I had your heart forever
But I find it's only lent

There is just three things I wish for
That's my casket, shroud and grave
When I'm dead, don't weep for me
Just like those lips that you betrayed

(Traditional)

Twas in the merry month of May
When green buds all were swelling,
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For love of Barbara Allen.

He sent his servant to the town
To the place where she was dwelling,
Saying you must come, to my master dear
If your name be Barbara Allen.

So slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she drew nigh him,
And the only words to him did say
Young man I think you're dying.

He turned his face unto the wall
And death was in him welling,
Good-bye, good-bye, to my friends all
Be good to Barbara Allen.

When he was dead and laid in grave
She heard the death bells knelling
And every stroke to her did say
Hard hearted Barbara Allen.

Oh mother, oh mother go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow,
Sweet William died of love for me
And I will die of sorrow.

And father, oh father, go dig my grave
Make it both long and narrow,
Sweet William died on yesterday
And I will die tomorrow.

Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard
Sweet William was buried beside her,
Out of sweet William's heart, there grew a rose
Out of Barbara Allen's a briar.

They grew and grew in the old churchyard
Till they could grow no higher
At the end they formed, a true lover's knot
And the rose grew round the briar.

(Traditional)

When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he
He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee
He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee

Joseph and Mary walked through an orchard green
There were cherries and berries, as thick as might be seen
There were cherries and berries, as thick as might be seen

Mary said to Joseph, so meek and so mild:
Joseph, gather me some cherries, for I am with child
Joseph, gather me some cherries, for I am with child

Then Joseph flew in anger, in anger flew he
Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee!
Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee!

Then up spoke baby Jesus, from in Mary's womb:
Bend down the tallest branches, that my mother might have some
Bend down the tallest branches, that my mother might have some

And bend down the tallest branches, it touched Mary's hand
Cried she: Oh look thou Joseph, I have cherries by command
Oh look thou Joseph, I have cherries by command

(Traditional)

Well, I had an old dog and his name was Blue,
Had an old dog and his name was Blue.
Had an old dog and his name was Blue...
Betcha five dollars he's a good dog too...
"Here old Blue"
"Good dog you"

Well, I shouldered my axe and I tooted my horn,
Went to find 'possum in the new-grown corn.
Old Blue treed and I went to see,
Blue had 'possum up a tall oak tree.
Mmm, boy I roast'd 'possum, nice and brown,
Sweet po-ta-toes, n' all a-round...
And to say "Here old Blue (here-boy)
You can have some too"

Now, Old Blue died and he died so hard,
Made a big dent in my back-yard.
Dug his grave with a silver spade,
Lowered him down with a link of chain.
Ev-er-y link I did call his name...
Singing "Here:old...Blue-ue...
"Good dog you"

Now, when I get to heaven, first thing I'll do.
When I get to heaven, first thing 'awm do.
When I get to heaven first thing I'll do,
Pull out my horn and call old Blue...
I'll say, "Here Old Blue come-on dog"
"Good dog you."

I'll say, "Here Blue-e"
"I'm a coming there too"
"Down boy... good dog"

(Traditional)

She went upstairs to make her bed
And not one word to her mother said.
Her mother she went upstairs too
Saying, "Daughter, oh daughter, what's troublin' you?":
"Oh mother, oh mother, I cannot tell
That railroad boy that I love so well.
He courted me my life away
And now at home will no longer stay."
"There is a place in yonder town
Where my love goes and he sits him down.
And he takes that strange girl on his knee
And he tells to her what he won't tell me."
Her father he came home from work
Sayin', "Where is my daughter, she seems so hurt"
He went upstairs to give her hope
An' he found her hangin' by a rope.
He took his knife and he cut her down
And on her bosom these words he found:
"Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
Put a marble stone at my head and feet,
And on my breast, put a snow white dove
To warn the world that I died of love.

(M. il Tedesco)

The joys of love are but a moment long
The pain of love endures the whole life long

Your eyes kissed mine, I saw the love in them shine
You brought me heaven right there when your eyes kissed mine

My love loves me, a world of wonder I see
A rainbow shines thru my window; my love loves me

And now he's gone like a dream that fades in the dawn
But the words stay locked in my heartstrings; my love loves me

Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment
Chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie

J'ai tout quitte pour l'ingrate Sylvie,
Elle me quit et me prend un autre amant

Tant que cette eau coulera doucement
Vers ce ruisseau qui borde la prairie

Je t'aimerai, me repetait Sylvie;
Mais l'eau coule encor, elle a change pourtant