Well it's early one morning Billy Henry arose
And straight to his comrade's bed-chamber he goes
Saying "Rise loving comrade let nobody know
To the dark and chilly waters a-bathing we'll go"
Billy instantly stripped and then he went in
And he swam the dark waters all round and around
Saying "Oh my loving comrade oh don't you go in
For I see there is a coffin in the Lakes of Shillin"
But the other one he stripped and then he went in
And he swam the dark waters all round and around
Saying "Oh my loving Billy why did you go in
To the dark and chilly waters in the Lakes of Shillin"
Now there was an old woman who lived there close by
She went to Billy's parents and she made this reply
"Well your son he went a-bathing as I've heard him say
And now your Billy Henry he's as cold as the clay"
And so down came his mother like one in despair
She's a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair
Saying "Oh my loving Billy why did you go in
To the dark and chilly waters in the Lakes of Shillin?"
And so down came his father like one in despair
He's a-wringing of his hands and a-tearing of his hair
Saying "I brought up a family of fine-bodied men
And the best of them's drowned in the Lakes of Shillin"
So it's down came his sweetheart like one in despair
She's a-wringing of her hands and a-tearing of her hair
Saying "It's six months and better till my wedding day
And now me Billy Henry he's as cold as the clay
So we'll go round to Martin's to Martin's by the shore
And we'll hire us a small boat as we've done before
And we'll search the dark waters all around and all round
Till we see that Billy Henry's fair body is found"
So they went around to Martin's to Martin's by the shore
And they hired them a small boat as they'd done before
And they searched the dark waters all around and all round
Till they saw that Billy Henry's fair body was found
And for to see Billy's funeral was such a fine sight
There was six handsome young men all dressed up in white
There was six pretty maidens all dressed up in green
Just to show that he'd been drowned in the Lakes of Shillin