Come all you wild, young people And listen to my song Which I'll unfold, concerning gold That guides so many wrong Young Emma was a servant maid She loved a sailor bold He ploughed the main, much gold to gain For his Love we've been told
He ploughed the main for seven years And then, he returned home As soon as he set foot on shore Unto his love did go He went unto young Emma's house His gold for all to show That he had gained upon the main All in the lowlands low
My father keeps a public house Down by the side of the sea You go there and stay the night And there you wait for me I'll meet you in the morning Don't let my parents know That your name it is young Edwin That ploughed the lowlands low
Young Edwin he sat drinking Till time to go to bed Little thought the sword that night Would part his body and head And Edwin he got into bed And scarcely was asleep When Emma's cruel parents soft Into his room did creep
They stabbed him, dragged him out of bed And to the sea did go They sent his body floating Down to the lowlands low As Emma she lay sleeping She had an awful dream She dreamed she saw young Edwin's blood Flowing like a stream
Father where's the stranger Come here last night to stay? Oh he is dead, no tales to tell Her father he did say Then father, cruel father You'll die a public show For the murdering of my Edwin That ploughed the lowlands low