Well, Johnny be fair and Johnny be fine and wants me for to wed
And I would marry Johnny, but my father up and said
I'm sad to tell you daughter what your mother never knew
But Johnny is a son of mine and so he's kin to you
Well, Jimmy be fair and Jimmy be fine and wants me for to wed
And I would marry Jimmy, but my father up and said
I'm sad to tell you daughter what your mother never knew
But Jimmy, too, is a son of mine and so he's kin to you
Well, Billy be fair and Billy be fine and wants me for to wed
And I would marry Billy, but my father up and said
I'm sad to tell you daughter what your mother never knew
But Billy, too, is a son of mine and so he's kin to you
You never seen a girl so sad and sorry as I was
The boys in town are all my kin and my father is the cause
If life should thus continue I shall die a single miss
And, so, I'll go to mother and complain to her of this
Mm mm mm
Oh daughter, haven't I taught you to forgive and to forget
And, if your father sewed his oats, well, still you needn't fret
Your father may be father to all the boys in town and still
He's not the one who sired you, so marry whom you will