Digital Tradition Mirror

Red Rosy Bush

(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

Red Rosy Bush

Go dig up that red rosy bush
Stands by the willow tree.
And it will show to the wide world around
That she's forsaken me.

Go show me the crow that is so black
It surely will turn white.
If I forsake the darling girl I love
The day will turn to night.

Oh, it's hard to love and can't be loved,
It's hard to change your mind.
You broken up the heart of many a poor boy,
But you never will break up mine.

I'll take my knapsack on my back,
And a parasol (parcel) in my hand.
I will travel this wide world over,
Until I find some better a land.

Till I find some better a land, my little love,
Till I find some better a land.
I will travel this wide world, my love,
Till I find some better a land.

Oh, it's who will shoe your pretty little foot,
And who will glove your hand?
Or who will kiss those red rosy cheeks
When I'm in a foreign land?

When I'm in a foreign land, my little love,
When I'm in a foreign land,
Oh, who will kiss those red rosy cheeks
When I'm in a foreign land?

My papa will shoe my little foot,
My mama will glove my hand,
And you may kiss my red rosy cheeks
When you return from the foreign land.

When you return from the foreign land, my little love,
When you return from the foreign land.
And you may kiss my red rosy cheeks
When you return from the foreign land.

Oh I wish I`d died when I were young,
Or never had been born,
Before I seen those red rosy cheeks,
And heard that flattering tongue.

From Frank Warner, Collected from Lee Presnell, TN 1951
Note: Yet another turtle dove, with some Annie of Loch Royal
 tossed in. I never encountered a version of either song that
  wasn't a good one. Doesn't seem to be a close relation of the
  Red Rosy Bush that Jo Stafford once recorded. RG
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!