Recruited Collier

What's the matter wi you, my lass, and where's your dashing Jimmie?

The soldier boys have taen him up and sent him far, far from me

Last payday he went off to town and them redcoated fellows

Enticed him in and made him drunk and he'd better gone to the gallows

The very sight of his cockade, it set us all a-crying

And me, I nearly fainted twice, I thought that I was dying

My father would have paid the smart and he ran for the golden guinea

But the sergeant swore he'd kissed the book and now they've got young Jimmie

When Jimmie talks about the wars it's worse than death to hear him

I have to go and hide my face because I cannot bear him

A brigadier or grenadier he says they're bound to make him

And aye he laughs and cracks his jokes and bids me not forsake him

As I walked o'er the stubble fields below it runs the seam

I thought of Jimmie hewing there but it was all a dream

He hewed the very coals we burn and when the fire I'm lighting

To think the coals was in his hands, it sets my heart a -beating

So break my heart and then it's o'er, then break my heart my dearie

And lay me in the cold, cold ground for of single life I'm weary