Tony Rose - The Lakes Of Shilin lyrics

It was early one morning Billy Henry arose Straight to his comrade's bed-chamber he goes "Arise, loving comrade, let nobody know, To the dark and chilly waters a-bathing we'll go." Oh Billy he stripped and then he went in And he swam the dark waters all around and around Crying, "Oh my loving comrade, oh don't you go in For I see there is a coffin of the Lakes of Shilin." But the other one, he stripped and then he went in And he swam the dark waters all around and around Crying, "Oh my loving Billy, why did you go in To the dark and chilly waters of the Lakes of Shilin." Now there was an old woman that lived there close by She came to Billy's family and made this reply: "Oh, your son he went a-bathing as I've heard him say, But now your Billy Henry he's as cold as the clay." And it's down came his mother like one in despair, All a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair, Crying, "Oh my Billy Henry why did you go in To the dark and chilly waters of the Lakes of Shilin?" And it's down came his father like one in despair, All a-wringing of his hands and a-tearing of his hair, "Oh, I brought up a family of fine-bodied men, And the best of them's lying in the Lakes of Shilin." And it's down came his sweetheart like one in despair, She was wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair, "Oh, it's six months and better till my wedding day But now my Billy Henry he's as cold as the clay. So we'll go around to Martin's, to Martin's by the shore. And we'll hire us a small boat as we've done before And we'll search the dark waters all around and around Till we see that Billy Henry's fair body is found." So they went around to Martin's, to Martin's by the shore And they hired them a small boat as they'd done before. And they searched the dark waters all around and around Till they saw that Billy Henry's fair body was found. Oh, to see Billy's funeral, it was such a fine sight: There was six handsome young men dressed up in white, There was six pretty maidens all dressed up in green, Just to show he'd been drowned in the Lakes of Shilin. Oh, six pretty maidens all dressed up in green, Just to show he'd been drowned in the Lakes of Shilin.