Johnny be fair and Johnny be fine and wants me for to wed,
I would marry Johnny, but my 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 is kin to you."
Now, Jimmy be fair and Jimmy be fine and wants me for to wed,
I would marry Jimmy, but my father up and said:
"I'm sorry to tell you, daughter, what your mother never knew,
But, Jimmy too is a son of mine, and so is kin to you."
Ah, Willie be fair and Willie be fine and wants me for to wed,
I would marry Willie, but my father up and said:
"I'm sad to tell you, daughter, what your mother never knew,
But, Willie too is a son of mine, and so is kin to you."
You never saw a girl so sad or sorry as I was,
The boys in town are all me kin and me father is the cause;
If life should thus continue, I shall die a single miss,
And so, I'll go to mother and complain to her of this.
"Ah, daughter, haven't I taught you to forgive and to forget?
And if your father sowed his oats,well still you needn't fret;
Your father may be father to all the boys in town, but still....
He's not the one who sired you, so marry who you will."