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Title
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Shepherd's daughter
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Singer
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Banting, William [Shepherd]
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Song Lyrics
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Verse 1
It's of an old shepherd's daughter,
Kept sheep on the hills so high;
And one of the King's court servants
By chance came riding by.
Chorus
So we'll go no more a-roving,
So we'll go no more a-roving.
Verse 2
'I'll give to thee my gay gold watch,
Likewise my gay gold ring,
If thou'lt go with me to yonder green grove
To hear the small birds sing.'
Chorus
Verse 3
'Since thou art one of the King's court servants,
And hast confessed the same,
Now if thou be a kind young man,
Pray, tell to me thy name.'
Chorus
Verse 4
'Some they call me Jack, my dear,
And some they call me John;
But when I am at the King's high gate,
They call me sweet William.'
Chorus
Verse 5
He mounted on his lily white horse,
As fast as he could ride;
She picked her petticoats under her arms,
And ran by the horse's side.
Chorus
Verse 6
When she came to the King's high gate,
She went to the bell to ring,
And who should be there but the King himself,
To let this fair maid in.
Chorus
Verse 7
'What dost thou want, my pretty maid?
What dost thou want?' said he;
'I want one of your merry, merry men,
For he has robbed me.'
Chorus
Verse 8
'Has he robbed you of your gay gold watch,
Or of your gay gold ring?'
'No he has robbed me of my liberty,
And that's a more useful thing.'
Chorus
Verse 9
'Then if he be a married man,
Hanged he shall be;
But if he be a single man,
His body I'll give thee.'
Chorus
Verse 10
He called up his merry, merry men,,
By one, by two, by three,
And the last that he called was sweet William,
'Oh, that's the lad!' cried she.
Chorus
Verse 11
'The very first town that we come to,
Then we will buy the ring,
And the very next town that we come to
The marriage shall begin.'
Chorus
Verse 12
'I wish I'd drunk the cold well water,
Before I had drunk wine,
And before any old shepherd's daughter
Should have been a bride of mine.'
