Jean Ritchie
Fair Annie of Lochroyan
[Verse 1]
"Oh, who will shoe my bonny feet
And who will glove my hand
And who will kiss my rosy cheeks
While you in a far off land?"
"Your pa will shoe your bonny feet
Your ma will glove your hand
And I will kiss your rosy cheeks
When I come back again"

[Verse 2]
"Oh, who will build a bonny ship
And set her on the sea
For I will go and seek my love
My own love Gregory"
Oh, up and spoke her father dear
And a wealthy man was he
And he has built a bonny ship
And set her on the sea

[Verse 3]
Oh, he has built a bonny ship
To sail upon the sea
The mast was of the beaten gold
As fine as it could be
She had not sailed but twenty leagues
But twenty leagues and three
Whеn she met with a rank robber
And all of his company
[Verse 4]
"Arе you the queen of heaven," he cried
Come to pardon all our sins?
Or are you the Mary Magdelene
That was born at Bethlehem?"
"l'm not the queen of heaven," said she
"Come to pardon all your sins
Nor I'm the Mary Magdelene
That was born at Bethlehem

[Verse 5]
"But I am the lass of Lochroyan
That's sailing on the sea
To see if I can find my love
My own love Gregory"
"Oh, see you now yon bonny bower
All covered o'er with thyme?
And when you sailed around and about
Lord Gregory is within"

[Verse 6]
"Now row the boat, my mariners
And bring me to the land
For it's now I see my true love's castle
Close by the salt sea strand"
She sailed it around and sailed it around
And loud and long cried she
"Now break, now break your fairy charms
And set my true love free"
[Verse 7]
She has taken her young son in her arms
And to the door she's gone
And long she's knocked and loud she's called
But answer she's got none
"Open the door, Lord Gregory
Open and let me in
The wind blows cold, blows cold, my love
The rain drops from my chin

[Verse 8]
"The shoe is frozen to my feet
The glove unto my hand
The wet drops from my frozen hair
And I can scarcely stand"
Up then and spoke his ill mother
As mean as she could be
"You're not the lass of the Lochroyan
She is far out o'er the sea

[Verse 9]
"Away, away, you ill woman
You don't come here for good
You're but some witch who strolls about
Or a mermaid of the flood"
"Now open the doors, love Gregory
Open the doors I pray
For thy young son is in my arms
And will be dead ere it is day"
[Verse 10]
"Ye lie, ye lie, ye ill woman
So loud I hear ye lie
For Annie of the Lochroyan
Is far out o'er the sea"
Fair Annie turned her round and about
"Well, since this all is so
May never a woman that's bourne a son
Have a heart so full of woe"

[Verse 11]
When the cock had crow'n and the day had dawned
And the sun begun to peep
Up then and raised Lord Gregory
And sore, sore did he weep
"Oh, I have dreamt a dream, mother
The thought it grieves me great
That fair Annie of the Lochroyan
Lay dead at my bed feet"

[Verse 12]
"If it be for Annie of the Lochroyan
You make all of this moan
She stood last night at your bower window
But I have sent her home"
Oh, he's gone down unto the shore
To see what he could see
And there he saw fair Annie's barque
Come a-roarin' o'er the sea

[Verse 13]
"Oh Annie, oh Annie," loud he cried
"Oh Annie, oh Annie, my dear"
But all the loud that he did cry
Fair Annie she could not hear
The wind blew loud, the waves rose high
And dashed the boat on shore
Fair Annie's corpse was in the foam
The babe rose never more

[Verse 14]
Then first he kissed her pale, pale cheeks
And then he kissed her chin
And then he kissed her cold, cold lips
There was no breath within
"Oh, woe betide my ill mother
An ill death may she die
She has not been the death of one
But she has been the death of three"

[Verse 15]
Then he took out a little dart
That hung down by his side
And thrust it through and through his heart
And then fell down and died