George Collins walked out one May morning
When May was all in bloom
And who should he see but a fair pretty maid
A washing her white marble stone
She whooped she hollered she called so loud
She waved her lilywhite hand
Come hither to me George Collins cried she
For your life it won't last you long
He put his foot on the broad water side
Across the river sprung he
He gripped his hands
Round her middle so small
And he kissed her red ruby lips
Then he rode home to his father's own house
And loudly knocked at the ring
Arise, arise dear father he cried
Rise and please let me in
Oh arise, arise dear mother he cried
Rise and make up my bed
Arise arise dear sister he cried
Get a napkin to tie round my head
For if I should die tonight
As I suppose I shall
Please bury me neat that white marble stone
That lies in fair Ellender's hall
Fair Ellender sat all in her hall Weaving her silks so fine
And who should she see but the finest corpse
That ever her eyes shone on
Fair Ellender called unto her head maid
Whose corpse is this so fine
She made her reply George Collins' corpse
An old true love of mine
Oh put him down my little brave boys
And open his coffin so wide
That I may kiss his red ruby lips
Ten thousand times they've kissed mine
This news being carried to fair London town
Wrote on London gate
Six pretty maids died all in one night
'Twas all for George Collins' sake
When May was all in bloom
And who should he see but a fair pretty maid
A washing her white marble stone
She whooped she hollered she called so loud
She waved her lilywhite hand
Come hither to me George Collins cried she
For your life it won't last you long
He put his foot on the broad water side
Across the river sprung he
He gripped his hands
Round her middle so small
And he kissed her red ruby lips
Then he rode home to his father's own house
And loudly knocked at the ring
Arise, arise dear father he cried
Rise and please let me in
Oh arise, arise dear mother he cried
Rise and make up my bed
Arise arise dear sister he cried
Get a napkin to tie round my head
For if I should die tonight
As I suppose I shall
Please bury me neat that white marble stone
That lies in fair Ellender's hall
Fair Ellender sat all in her hall Weaving her silks so fine
And who should she see but the finest corpse
That ever her eyes shone on
Fair Ellender called unto her head maid
Whose corpse is this so fine
She made her reply George Collins' corpse
An old true love of mine
Oh put him down my little brave boys
And open his coffin so wide
That I may kiss his red ruby lips
Ten thousand times they've kissed mine
This news being carried to fair London town
Wrote on London gate
Six pretty maids died all in one night
'Twas all for George Collins' sake