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The Willow Garden Lyrics
Down in the willow garden, me and my love did meet
And as we sat a-courting, my love fell off to sleep
I had a bottle of burgundy wine; my love, she did not know
And so I poisoned that dear little girl along the banks below
Along the banks below
I drew my saber through her; it was a bloody night
I threw her in the river, which was a dreadful sight
My father often told me that money would set me free
And so I murdered that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly
Whose name was Rose Connelly
My father sits at his cabin door wiping his tear-dimmed eyes
His only son soon should walk to yonder scaffold high
My race is run beneath the sun; the scaffold now waits for me
For I did murder that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly
Whose name was Rose Connelly
Whose name was Rose Connelly
And as we sat a-courting, my love fell off to sleep
I had a bottle of burgundy wine; my love, she did not know
And so I poisoned that dear little girl along the banks below
Along the banks below
I threw her in the river, which was a dreadful sight
My father often told me that money would set me free
And so I murdered that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly
Whose name was Rose Connelly
His only son soon should walk to yonder scaffold high
My race is run beneath the sun; the scaffold now waits for me
For I did murder that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly
Whose name was Rose Connelly
Whose name was Rose Connelly
Song Info
Submitted by
algernonmabus On Jan 25, 2007
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If this ain't Freudian I don't know what is. It's actually quite a meaningful song if the murder is taken to be the deflowering (her name is "Rose") of the girl. He sleeps with her down on the banks of the river, and then because of his selfishness and lack of patience he has ruined his potential love, as symbolized both of their deaths. "I drew my saber through her; it was a bloody sight (or night)" seems to be the most obvious reference. Contextually it also makes perfect sense. They were courting and falling in love. It doesn't make sense for him to kill her. Also, the correlation between sex and death has been around at least since the early Renaissance, most likely earlier as well, so chronologically this could make sense.
Now that's what I call murder - he poisons her, he stabs her & then he drowns her. Poor girl must be as hard to kill as Rasputin. I think the vocalist is Conway Savage on this one. Anybody know why Nick Cave didn't do it? (Maybe he was all murdered out).