JOHNNY BE FAIR
Oh, Johnny be fair and Johnny be fine he wants me for to wed
And I would marry Johnny, but me father up and said
"I'm sorry to tell you daughter, what your mother never knew
But Johnny is a son of mine and so he's kin to you"
Oh, Willie be fair and Willie be fine he wants me for to wed
And I would marry Willie, but me father up and said
"I'm sorry to tell you daughter, what your mother never knew
But Willie too is a son of mine and so he's kin to you"
Oh, Thomas be fair and Thomas be fine he wants me for to wed
And I would marry Thomas, but me father up and said
"I'm sorry to tell you daughter, what your mother never knew
But Thomas is a son of mine and so he's kin to you"
Oh, you never saw a maid so sad and sorry as I was
The lads in town were all me kin and me father was the cause
If life should thus continue, I will die a single miss
I think I'll go to mother and complain to her of this
"Oh, daughter, haven't I told you to forgive and to forget?
Your father sowed his wild oats, but still you need not fret
Your father may be father to all the lads in town, but still
He's not the one who sired you, so marry whom you will"
