Unknown - Fair Rosie Lyrics

Fair Rosie
(Di Williams)

I took fair Rosie by the hand, by the hand,
I took fair Rosie by the hand, by the hand.

They say that Rosie had no fears, had no fears,
She ran away at thirteen years, thirteen years.

In Ardwick Green her life began, life began,
She learned the songs the mill girls sang, mill girls sang.

She used to sit there on the stairs, on the stairs,
And pull the cotton from their hair, from their hair.

Her father said she brought him shame, brought him shame,
She talked with women on the game, on the game.

Her parents fought and lived apart, lived apart,
And Rosie took her mother's part, mother's part.

Her father found out she was there, she was there,
He had her taken into care, into care.

They took poor Rosie by the hand, by the hand,
They took poor Rosie by the hand, by the hand.

They call her Rampton* Rosie now, Rosie now,
She tried and got back home somehow, home somehow.

[* Rampton is a mental home in Lincolnshire.]

And when they came to take back Rose, take back Rose,
She punched the policeman on the nose, on the nose.

The doors and windows barred again, barred again,
She smashed her fist right through the pane, through the pane.

The doctors thought what they could do, they could do,
They cut poor Rosie's brain in two, brain in two.

Some skills she had are ever lost, ever lost,
The wound is healed at such a cost, such a cost.

They've locked her up for twenty years, twenty years,
They've locked her up for twenty years, twenty years.

The pain is hard to rise above, rise above,
Still Rosie laughs and Rosie loves, Rosie loves.

The nurses said that Rosie lied, Rosie lied,
When Rosie sang this song I cried, song I cried.

I took fair Rosie by the hand, by the hand,
I took fair Rosie by the hand, by the hand.