Billy Boy Where have you been all the day, my boy Willie? Where have you been all the day, Willie won't you tell me now? I have been all the day courting of a lady gay But she's too young to be taken from her mother Is she fit to be a wife, my boy Willie? Is she fit to be a wife, Willie won't you tell me now? She's as fit to be a wife as a fork fits to a knife But she's too young to be taken from her mother Can she cook and can she spin, my boy Willie? Can she cook and can she spin, Willie won't you tell me now? She can cook, she can spin, she can do most anything But she's too young to be taken from her mother Can she bake a cherry pie, my boy Willie? Can she bake a cherry pie, Willie won't you tell me now? She can bake a cherry pie quick's a cat can wink her eye But she's too young to be taken from her mother Does she often go to church, my boy Willie? Does she often go to church, Willie won't you tell me now? Yes, she often goes to church in a bonnet white as birch But she's too young to be taken from her mother Can she make a feather bed, my boy Willie? Can she make a feather bed, Willie won't you tell me now? She can make a feather bed and put pillows at the head But she's too young to be taken from her mother Did she ask you to come in, my boy Willie Did she ask you to come in, Willie won't you tell me now Yes, she asked me to come in, she's a dimple in her chin But she's too young to be taken from her mother Did she tell how old she is, my boy Willie? Did she tell how old she is, Willie won't you tell me now? She's three times six, seven times seven, twenty-eight and eleven But she's too young to be taken form her mother Child #12 printed in Burl Ives Songbook SOF
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!