As I walked out one morning fair, To view the fields and take the air, O there a young banker I spied all alone, For his true love he was making a moan.
He says, pretty maid, will you come on deck, With a chain of gold all round your neck; For what you say may prove true, But his* answer it was I'll have none of you.
Young banker he turned for to go away, She called after him and to him did say; Oh stay, oh stay, and I will prove true, But his answer it was I will have none of you.
She thought that she heard some gang's man say, Pack up your clothes and go away; And it pricked her to the heart, To think that the banker and her should part.
Young banker he had a handsome face, And all around his hat wore a band of lace Beside such a handsome head of hair, For the young banker I will go there.
Now the pretty maid all her senses are lost, Ever since that in love she had been crossed, But now she sighs and laments, and does say, I have rued the day I said nay, nay, nay.
[*In my opinion, both versions are marred by misuse of pronouns, causing speeches to be attributed to the wrong person. In verse 2, line 4, above, I have transcribed it exactly as I found it, but the story would make more sense with "her" instead of "his." In the DT, the error is in verse 4, line 4—(Note the verses are in a different order.)—but I don't know whether the error was introduced by the transcriber, or the Watersons, or their source.]