Here is the version by Alistair Hulett which is on youtube.



O'h there was a woman, and she lived alone, babies she had three
She sent them away to the north country, to learn their grammerie
They had not been gone but a very short time, scarcely six weeks to the day
Till death cold death blew over the land, and bore them babes away.

She prayed to the Lord in the heavens above, wearing the starry crown
Send to me my three little babes, tonight or in the morning soon
And as it grew near to old Christmas time, the night it was long and cold
That very morning at the break of the day, them babes came a runnin' home.

She laid a table in the uppermost room, on it put bread and wine
Come eat come drink my three little babes, come eat come drink of mine
They said Mother we cannot, we cannot eat your bread, neither can we drink your wine
For tomorrow morning at the break of the day, our saviour must rejoin.

Cold clouds of clay, roll ower our heads, green grass grows on our feet
And all our tears sweet mother dear, they wed a winding sheet.
O'h there was a woman, and she lived alone, babies she had three
She sent them away to the north country, to learn their grammerie