I learned this song many years ago from my college roommate, Lois, and in the last few years have been singing it again. When I reminded Lois of it a couple of years ago, she was delighted to hear it again, but neither of us knew where it came from until someone told us it was from Burl Ives. Glad to have that confirmed!

The words I learned are quite close to those above, except that the fourth verse goes

    I says to her, "Lizzie, you might catch your death!"
    She says to me, "Guv'nor, I'm catchin' me breath!
    I've swum from the Thames to the Monongaheelee,
    To find pretty Jackie, me 'usband to be."

And then continues:

    I met pretty Jackie at Tilbury Lock,
    And sat on the bowsprit a-mendin' 'is socks.
    'E said that 'e loved me and 'e'd marry me --
    'Is name is Jack Swabby, the U. S. Nae-vee."

Chorus

    I says to her, "Lizzie, young Jack is my son.
    I'm sorry to tell you his family's begun,
    And I'm the grandfather of triplets, you see,
    He married Miss Catfish from Lock Number Three."

    Then sadly, oh, sadly, she gazed upon me,
    And says to me, "Guv-nor, oh, 'ow can it be?"
    Then slipped in the water so despondently,
    And flippered her way down the Monongaheelee.

And the last chorus goes:

Oh, a locktender's life can be happy and free,
(whistle)
Though probably not on the Monongaheelee.
(whistle)

I'll have to admit I sing a little la-da-da bit in the chorus instead of whistling, because I've never been able to make the transition from singing to whistling -- and back again -- with any success. Humming or singing really works just as well. It's a fun song!

Cheers,
Nancy