There lived a wife at Usher's well
And three little boys had she
She sent them far away from her
To learn their grammary
Well they hadn't been a month from her
Not one month and a day
When cold cold death came o'er the land
And he stole those boys away
She said I wish the wind would never more blow
Nor fish swim in the flood
Till my three boys came home to me
In earthly flesh and blood
In earthly flesh and blood
Well it fell upon the Martinmas time
When the nights are long and still
That her three boys came home to her
Running down the hill
So she decked a table broad
With bread and blood-red wine
Come eat and drink my bonnie boys
Come eat and drink of mine
Oh mother bread we cannot eat
Nor can we drink the wine
For cold cold death is lord of all
And to him we must resign
For the green green grass is at our heads
And the clay is at our feet
And how your tears come tumbling down
To wet the winding sheet
To wet the winding sheet
So she made a bed for them
And she's made it long and deep
And laid it with the golden thread
And she lulled those boys asleep
But the cock he hadn't crowed but once
To welcome in the day
When the eldest to the youngest said
Brother we must away
For the day does dawn and the cock did crow
And the chunnering worm does chide
And if we're missed out of our graves
Well a sore pain we must bide
For the green green grass is at our heads
And the clay is at our feet
And how your tears come tumbling down
To wet the winding sheet
To wet the winding sheet