Ian and Sylvia made some changes to the text, in some cases to make better sense of it. Here it is as originally sung:
THE JEALOUS LOVER
(Noted by Helen Creighton from Nathan Hatt of Middle River, in June 1952)
She dressed herself in men's attire, so gayly she was dressed,
A-thinking to meet her own true love, the one that she loved best;
And when he saw her a-coming he cried out, "Who is there?
It is my eldest brother a-thinking to meet my dear.
But how soon will I deceive him for his butcher I will be,
He shall never live to enjoy my dear or not to bother me."
He fired right at him as he thought which caused his loved one to fall,
And in her tender bosom he plunged a fatal ball.
"I fall, I fall, I fall," said she, "I fall unto the ground,
Oh Jimmie, cruel Jimmie, you have gave me my death wound.
Come look at the crimson tide from my bleeding wound do flow,
Oh Jimmie, cruel Jimmie, how could you serve me so?"
And when he saw her a-dying he tore his loving hair,
Another loaded pistol for himself he did repair.
"I will die for the loss of Mary, I will die for the love of thee,
So come, all bold lads and bold lassies, be ye ware of jealousy."
Maritime Folk Songs, Helen Creighton, 1962. A midi of Mr. Hatt's tune will go in time to the Mudcat Midi Pages; in the meantime it can be heard via the South Riding Folk Network site:
Steve Roud's folksong index lists one other set of this song, called The Jealous Brother, which came from Mrs. Carrie Grover of Maine, and appeared in her book A Heritage of Song.