Lyrics

Both young and old, I now make bold, I pray you lend an ear

It’s of as cruel a murder as ever you did hear

It’s of a pretty female, her age was scarce sixteen

Her beauty bright made me delight and Satan made me sin

This fair maid being a servant girl and I a farmer’s son

Her home in County Longford, convenient to my own

I courted her in private till I had her beguiled

And then to take her tender life, I made this action wild

‘Twas on a Sunday evening as you may plainly see

I sent for her in secret and soon she came to me

I said, ‘My dearest Annie, to Longford we will go

It’s there we will get married, and no one here shall know’

So late that night we both set out across the dreary plain

All on the way I talked full gay, my action time to gain

And the tender words she spoke to me would bring tears to your eye

But I said, ‘we’ll go no further for it’s here that you must die’

‘O Jamie, think on all your vows and do not me a-fright

And do not commit murder this dark and dismal night

‘I promise here, all on my knees, if you will spare my life

I’ll never seek to trouble you, nor ask to be your wife’

The words she said were all in vain, I struck her wondrous sore

With a heavy whip, I took her life and left her in her gore

Her flowing blood did stain the ground, her moans, they pierced my heart

And thinking I had murdered her, from her I quick did part

But being alive next morning, just at the break of day

A shepherd’s only daughter, by chance did pass that way

And seeing her lying in her gore, she went to her release

And Annie told her all my guilt, and she sent for the police

The coroner and the officer and the policeman likewise

They all got information, and set out in disguise

They quickly me surrounded, and put me on my trial

And I was taken prisoner and lodged in Longford Jail

But I lay there with troubled mind until my trial day

When the judge in passing sentence, these words to me did say

“For murdering of an orphan girl, your countrymen shall see

On the twenty-fourth of April, you’ll hang on the gallows-tree”

My name is James McDonald, from life I soon must part

For the murdering of Annie O’Brien, it grieves me to the heart

But I hope the Lord will pardon me, and, on my dying day

When I do mount the scaffold, good Christians, for me pray