"Sally where are you going? that you do look so gay
I know that I've not asked you to take a walk today"
"You have not asked me; well indeed, it's a tidy cheek of you
For you think that there's no more young chaps; I've got a dozen or two
Billy don't you weep for me
I'm going to St. James Park, me cousin Joe to see"
"Cousin Joe, now who is he - he's a soldier I can tell
For I know that you're fond of lobsters both raw and boiled as well"
"My Cousin Joe's a guardsman, and he is a handsome chap
"And he wears such fine moustachios and a stunning furry cap"
"Oh Billy don't you weep for me
I'm very fond of Cousin Joe, and he's very fond of me"
"We're going to the play tonight, Jack Sheppard for to see
And when that it is all over, we'll all have a jolly good spree
I've got money for a pint of stout and when we're short of tin
I'll even go and porn me smock to buy us a bottle of gin
Billy don't you weep for me
I'm going after Cousin Joe and I'll sit all on his knee"
"Whatever is the use of him? He never can keep you
You'll have to work from morn til night, that's what you'll have to do
You'll have to make shirts at a penny each, or else stand at the tub
And mark my words, there's many a day you'll go very short of grub
And then, Sally, you'll cry for me
Book it back to Cousin Joe, and sit all on his knee!"
In about a twelve months after, young Sally come back to me
She said that she was sorry that she'd ever been on that spree
Wanted me to take her back, says I, "Don't come to me
For I see you got a baby to dance all on your knee"
"Oh Billy how can you serve me so? You really drive me mad
I'll have you up before the beak and I'll swear you are it's dad
When you get before the bench they will not let you speak
And you'll have to keep the young one on 30 pence a week
So, Billy, how can you serve me so?
For I'm sure the child belongs to you, not to Cousin Joe"
Well in a week she gets this summons but she found it was no go
For the magistrate decided that the child belonged to Joe
She went up to Billy's backyard, quickly the door she shut
And when at last they found her, she'd drowned in the water butt
So young women take a warning from me
Never love a soldier or sit all on his knee