The Ballad Of George Collins

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.»