Columbine

[Lal Waterson, Oliver Knight]

Sung by Lal Waterson and accompanied by Oliver Knight, guitar, and Jody Stecher, mandolin, on the album A Bed of Roses and on the Topic Records anthology The Folk Collection.

Lyrics

Columbine do grow in my garden
Without a bye or leave
They’ve made a home in the borders
We’ll let them stay if they please
Statues stand guard
Hard hardies they do grow hard

In my perfumed back yard
There is endless talk about those flowers
One by one we do love you so
Goodbye Sweet William, hello old Rose
Why’d hang your head so low
Mother of a Thousand Baby Tears
Goodbye Jack-in-the-Green
We’ll see you next year

Abraham, Isaac and Joseph
All grow where they please
And the little Wood Sorrel we call
God Almighty’s bread and cheese
Foxgloves stand tall
Buttercups crowd them all

In my perfumed back yard
There is endless talk about those flowers
One by one we do love you so
Goodbye Sweet William, hello old Rose
Why’d hang your head so low
Mother of a Thousand baby Tears
Goodbye Jack-in-the-Green
We’ll see you next year