C   Am  C

[Verse 1]
            C               Am            
There was a Lady and a Lady gay
Am                  C
Of children she had three
               C
She sent them away to the North Countree
   C                 Am
To learn their grammaree

[Verse 2]
                C                     Am  
They'd not been gone but a very short time
Am                         C
Scarcely three weeks and a day
C
When death, cruel death, came harkening along
    C                  Am
And stole those babes away

[Verse 3]
            C                    Am  
"There is a King in Heaven," she cried
                   C      
"A King of third degree
                C
Send back, send back my three little babes
     C                       Am
This night send them back to me."

[Verse 4]
           C                    Am  
She made a bed in the uppermost room
Am                    C
On it she put a white sheet
C
And over the top a golden spread
     C                      Am
That they much better might sleep

[Verse 5]
Am                    C                     Am  
"Take it off, take it off," cried the older one
Am                                C
"Take it off, take it off," cried he
                 C
"For what's to become of this wide wicked world
      C               Am
Since sin has first begun."

[Verse 6]
          C              Am  
She set a table of linen fine
Am                         C
On it she placed bread and wine
C
Come eat come drink my three little babes
      C                  Am                     
"Come eat, come drink of mine."

[Verse 7]
              C                 Am  
"We want none of your bread, mother
Am                      C
Neither do we want your wine
           C
For yonder stands our Savior dear
   C             Am
To Him we must resign."

[Verse 8]
                C                 Am  
"Green grass is over our heads, mother
Am                    C
Cold clay is over our feet
          C 
And every tear you shed for us
   C                Am 
It wets our winding-sheet."