Mary was a maiden When the birds began to sing She was fairer than the blooming rose Early in the spring Her thoughts were gay and happy And the morning rare and fine For her lover was a river boy From the river in the pines ♪ Charlie got married To his Mary in the spring When the trees were budding early And the birds began to sing But early in the autumn When the fruit is in the wine I'll return to you, my darling And the river in the pines ♪ Was early in the morning In Wisconsin's dreary clime When he rode the lonely rapids For that last and fatal time They found his body lying On the rocky shores below Where the silent water ripples And the whispering cedars blow ♪ Now every raft of lumber That comes down the Chippewa There's a lonely grave that's visited By drivers on their way They plant wild flowers on it In the morning, fair and fine 'Tis the grave of two young lovers From the river in the pines Well, they plant wild flowers on it In the morning, fair and fine It's the grave of two young lovers From the river in the pines ♪ In the pines ♪ In the pines