“On Top Of Old Smoky”

On top of Old Smoky
All covered with snow
I lost my true lover
From a-courtin’ too slow

A-courting’s a pleasure
And parting is grief
And a false-hearted lover
Is worse than a thief

A thief he will rob you
And take what you save
And a false-hearted lover
Will send you to your grave

Your grave will decay you
And turn you to dust
Not a girl in ten-thousand
That a poor boy can trust

She’ll hug you and kiss you
And tell you more lies
Than the crossties on the railroad
Or the stars in the sky

Come all you young maidens
Take warning from me
Don’t place your affections
On a green willow tree

The leaves they will wither
And the roots they will die
You’ll all be forsaken
And you’ll never know why

– Traditional. Appears on the album The Cisco Special, and elsewhere.