The Ballad Of George Collins - Sam Lee

George Collins walked out

One May morning

When May was all in bloom

And who should he see

But a fair pretty maid

Washing her white marble stone

She whooped

She hollered

She called so loud

She waved her lily-white hand

«Come hither to me

George Collins,» cried she

«For your life, it won’t last you long.»

He put his bent bow down by Brent-side

And across the river sprang he

He gripped his hands

Round her middle so small

And he kissed her red ruby lips

Then he rode home to his father’s own house

Loudly knocked at the ring

«Arise, arise my father!»

he cried

«Rise and please let me in!»

«Oh arise, arise, dear mother,» he cried

«Rise and make up my bed!»

«Arise, arise, dear sister,» he cried

«Get a napkin to tie round my head.»

«For, if I should die tonight

As I suppose I shall

Please bury me 'neath that white marble stone

That lies 'neath fair Ellender’s hall.»

Fair Ellender sat all in her hall

Weaving her silk so fine

Who should she see, but the finest corpse

That ever her eyes shone on

Oh, Fair Ellender called on her head maid:

(Oh, oh George Collins…

Oh, oh, his sake…) (x4)

«Whose corpse is this oh so fine?»

She made her reply:

«George Collins' corpse;

An old, true lover of mine.»

«Put him down, my brave little boys

And open his coffin so wide

That I may kiss his red ruby lips,»

(Oh George Collins' sake…)

«Ten thousand times they’ve kissed mine.»

The news being carried to fair London town

Wrote on London gate

«Six pretty maids died all in one night

And all for George Collins' sake.»