[Verse 1]
"Oh mother, oh mother, come riddle it down
Come riddle two hearts as one
Say must I marry fair Ellender
Or bring the brown girl home?"
"The brown girl she has house and lands
Fair Ellender she has none
Oh, the best advice I can give you, my son
Is go bring me the brown girl home"

[Verse 2]
He rode till he come to fair Ellender's gate
He tingled the bell with his cane
No one so ready as fair Ellender herself
To arise and bid him come in
"Oh, what's the news, Lord Thomas?" she cried
"What's the news you've brung to me?"
"I've come to ask you to my wedding
Now what do you think of me?"

[Verse 3]
"Oh mother, oh mother, come riddle it down
Come riddle two hearts as one
Oh, must I go to Lord Thomas's wedding
Or stay at home and mourn?"
"Oh, the brown girl she's got business there
You know you have got none
Oh, the best advice I can give you, my daughter
Is to stay at home and mourn"
[Verse 4]
She dressed herself in a snow-white dress
Her maids they dressed in green
And every town that they rode through
They took her to be some queen
She rode till she came to Lord Thomas's gate
She pulled all in her rein
No one so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To arise and bid her come in

[Verse 5]
He took her by the lily-white hand
He led her through the hall
He seated her down in a rockin' chair
Amongst those ladies all
"Is this your bride, Lord Thomas?" she cried
"She looks a wonderful brown
You once could have married a maiden as fair
As ever the sun shall know"

[Verse 6]
"Dispraise her not, fair Ellender," he cried
"Dispraise her not to me
For I think more of your little finger
Than of her whole body"
The brown girl had a little pen knife
It bein' both keen and sharp
Betwixt the long ribs and the short
Pierced fair Ellender to the heart
[Verse 7]
"Oh, what's the matter?" Lord Thomas he cried
"You look so pale and wan
You used to have as rosy a color
As ever the sun shall know"
"Oh, are you blind, Lord Thomas?" she cried
"Or is it you cannot see?
And can't you see my own heart's blood
Come a-trinkling down to my knee?"

[Verse 8]
Lord Thomas he drew his sword from his side
As he run through the hall
He cut off the head of his bonny brown bride
And kicked it against the wall
Then placin' the handle against the wall
And the blade a-towards his heart
Said, "Did you ever see three true lovers meet
That had so soon to part?

[Verse 9]
"Oh mother, oh mother, go dig my grave
And dig it both wide and deep
And bury fair Ellender in my arms
And the brown girl at my feet"