Wexford Girl- Mrs. Alvin Reed (WV) 1970 Bush A
[From Folk Songs of Central West Virginia I, by Michael E. Bush, 1971.
R. Matteson 2016]
Wexford Girl- sung by Mrs. Alvin Reed of Glenville, WV before 1970.
'Twas in the town of Wexford
I used to live and dwell;
'Twas in the town of Wexford
I owned a floury mill[1].
Was there I spied a pretty fair maid
With dark and roaming eyes,
I asked her if she'd marry me,
My wished to comply.
The very same evening at six o'clock,
I called at her sister's door.
I asked her if she'd walk with me
Our wedding day talk o'er.
We walked along together
Til we reached a level spot[1]
I drew a stake from out of the ground,
And i knocked the fair maid down.
She fell down on her bended knees,
Have mercy she did cry
Sayin', "Johnny dear, don't murder me
I'm not prepared to die."
I heeded not the fair maid's cries,
I beat her o'er and o'er;
I beat her till her body lie,
A-bleeding in a gore.
I took her by her yellow locks
And I drug her o'er the ground.
I throwed her in a stream of water,
That flowed through Wexford town.
"Lie there, lie there you pretty young maid
To me you'll never be tied,
"Lie there, lie there you Wexford girl
You'll never be my bride."
I rolled and I tumbled all night,
No comfort could I see;
The flames of hell shown 'round me,
Is there where I will be."
Good people come and pray for me,
Before I'm dead and gone,
And for the girl who bleeding lies,
Dead in Wexford Town.
1. originally "flowery dwell."
2. usually "level ground"