Carrie Brown

Carrie darlin', Carrie
Carrie Brown I cried
If I can’t marry Carrie Brown
Believe I’d rather die
Believe I’d rather die, boys
Believe I’d rather die
The first time I saw Carrie Brown
She was so young and fair
A voice like spring rain fallin' down
And sunlight in her hair
I’d never seen her face before
So I asked all around
Said her daddy owns a grocery store
She lives in Bristol town
Carrie darlin', Carrie
Carrie Brown I cried
If I can’t marry Carrie Brown
Believe I’d rather die
Believe I’d rather die, boys
Believe I’d rather die
I laid my last ten dollars down
Though I didn’t need a thing
Just to touch sweet Carrie Brown
When she handed me my change
I hung around 'til closin' time
Scarce believed my eyes
My darlin' walkin' arm in arm
With a boy named Billy Wise
Carrie darlin', Carrie
Carrie Brown I cried
If I can’t marry Carrie Brown
Believe I’d rather die
Believe I’d rather die, boys
Believe I’d rather die
I walked around in Bristol town
A bitter broken man
A heart that pined for Carrie Brown and a pistol in my hand
We met again on State Street
Poor Billy Wise and me
I shot him in Virginia and he died in Tennessee
Carrie darlin', Carrie
Carrie Brown I cried
If I can’t marry Carrie Brown
Believe I’d rather die
Believe I’d rather die, boys
Believe I’d rather die
Now I’m down in the Bristol jail
And all I do is cry
'Cause the jury found me guilty and the judge says I must die
I’m just a poor young mountain boy
Ain’t never been to town
And I’ve come to ruination for the love of Carrie Brown
Carrie darlin', Carrie
Carrie Brown I cried
If I can’t marry Carrie Brown
Believe I’d rather die
Believe I’d rather die, boys
Believe I’d rather die