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.
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.