Digital Tradition Mirror

The Wild Rippling Waters

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

The Wild Rippling Waters

I was out walking an' a-ramblin' one day;
I spied a fair couple a-comin'my way;
One was a lady as fair as could be,
An' the other a cowboy, an' a brave one were he,
An' the other a cowboy, an' a brave one were he.

Says, "Where are you goin', my pretty fair maid?"
"Jest down by the river, jest down by the shade,
Jest down by the river, jest down by the spring,
See the wifd ripplin' water an' hear the nightingale sing,
See the wild ripplin' water an' hear the nightingale sing."

They hadn't been there but an hour or so
Till he drew from his satchel a fiddle and bow;
He tuned his fiddle all on the high string,
An' he played this tune over an' over again,
An' he played this tune over an' over again.
"Now," said the cowboy, "I should have been gone."
"No, no," said the pretty maid, "jest play one more song.
I'd rather hear the fiddle jest played on one string
As to see the water glide by an' hear the nightingale sing
As to see the water glide by an' hear the nightingale sing."
                                                          9-
He tuned up hi@ fiddle and he rosined his bow;
He played her a lecture, he played it all o'er;
He played her a lecture that made the valley ring.
"Hark! Hark!" said the fair maid. "Hear the nightingale sing.
Hark! Hark! " said the fair maid. "Hear the nightingale sing."

She said, "Dear cowboy, will you marry me ? "
He said: "Dear lady, that could never be.
I have a wife in Arizona, an' a lady is she;
One wife on a cow-ranch is a plenty for me,
One wife on a cow-ranch is a plenty for me."

"I'll go to Mexico, I'll stay there one year;
I'll drink sweet wine an' I'll drink lotta beer.
If I ever return here, it will be in the spring,
To see the bright ripplin'water, hear the nightingale sing,
To see the bright ripplin'water, hear the nightingale sing."

Come all you young maidens, take warning from me;
Never place your affections in a cowboy too free;
He'll go away an' leave you like mine did me;
Leave you to rock cradles, sing "Bye-o-babee";
Leave you to rock cradles, sing "Bye-o-babee".

From Cowboy Songs, Lomax
DT #340
Laws P14
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!