Matt said,
> there's that line about 'the burning Thames I have to cross', and repeating it suggests a return trip: that the ghostly revenant is re-crossing some Stygian river of fire back to hell. Or, in my case, if I'm finishing with that song, returning to South London from North London...

But not "into the arms of my dear love/lass" when he's going away from her. And a stumble that would delay his journey would be all to the good if he's on his way back to hell. So the first verse doesn't fit at the end unless you change some words.

HOWEVER I do like that interpretation of "the burning Thames". Much better than dismissing it as a corruption of "this morning's tempest".

Don said
"Standard formula for expository writing:

You tell them what you are going to tell them.

You tell them.

Then you tell them what you've just told them."

But not usually in exactly the same words. Some modification is needed e.g. at the beginning "Come all you (whoevers) and listen" then at the end "Come all you (whoevers) who've listened".