sweet william awoke one may morining and dressed himself in blue
"we want you to tell us something about that long love between lady margaret and you"
well i know nothing about this lady margarets love
i know that she dont love me
but tomorrow morning at 8 0 5 lady margaret my bride shall see

lady margaret was standing in her own hall door
combing down her hair
when who should she spy but sweet willie and his bride
and the lawyers come riding by
she threw down her ivory comb
bound her hair in silk
and she flew from her own hall door
never to return anymore

the day did pass and the nights comin on
when most all men was asleep
sweet william espied miss lady margarets ghost
standing at his own bed feet

how do you like the bed? she asked him
how do you like the sheet
and how do you like that pretty fair miss
laying in your arms so sweet

very well very well do i like the bed
very well do i like the sheet
but the best one of all is that pretty fair miss
who's standin at my own bed feet

well the night did pass and the days coming on
when most all men was at work
sweet william said he was troubled in his head
from a dream that he dreamed last night

such dreams such dreams they are no good
such dreams they are no good
for i dreamed my hall was filled with wild swine
my true love was swimming in blood

so he called his merry men to his side
counted one two three
the last one of these go and ask of my bride
lady margaret i might go and seek

he rode and he rode unto miss lady margarets hall
jingled on the rings
no one was so ready as lady margarets brother
to rise and welcome him in

is she in her garden he asked him
or is she in her hall
or is she in her upper parlor, amongst those ladies all

she neither is in her garden he answered
neither is she in her hall
but yonder she lies in her cold coffin
thats sitting by the side of the wall

pull down pull down those milk white sheets
made of linen so fine
tonight they shall hang oer me lady margarets corpse
tomorrow they shall hang over mine

pull down pull down those milk white sheets
made of linen so fine
may i go and kiss them clay cold lips
for they often times have kissed mine

first he kissed her on her cheek
then he kissed her chin
then he kissed her clay cold lips
which crushed his heart within

lady margaret she died as it might be today
sweet william he dies tomorrow
and out of her grave there sprung a red rose
and out of his a briar

they grew and they grew unto the steeple-top
they could not grow no higher
and there they tied in a true lovers knot
for all young people to admire