The Three Fine Daughters Of Farmer Brown

(chorus)

breaking hearts in halifax county

the three fine daughters of farmer brown

turning heads of the boys in the schoolyard

catching whistles from the men downtown

no one knows why they went rowin'

the three fine daughters of farmer brown

they didn't know that the rocks on the river

be the three sisters island where they'd all drown

widower brown had a girl named nellie

she was the oldest and toughest of three

she would take her daddy's well-sharpened sickle

and carve "kill men" in the sycamore tree

the men came a courtin' but she'd keep her distance

never cracked a smile just played it coy

some say she's as tender as a petal

she'd act tough cuz her daddy wanted a boy

old man brown had a girl named dottie

the middle button and the most vane of the three

she'd take her daddy's fat leather boot strap

and whip anyone who'd call her dorothy

the men would fawn her and she would repay 'em

and peck 'em where they'd find it safe to kiss

like the barn or the porch or the upstairs parlor

anywhere that'd keep 'em from her father's fist

(chorus)

farmer brown had a girl named becca

she was the youngest and most reverent of all

she would take her daddy's king james bible

and go study scripture at the brethren hall

the men would avoid her 'cuz she would condemn them

for cussing and drinking and chasing the brown's

she'd say "repent and join god forever

the pleasure of sin's not as good as it sounds"

one day the three with nothing in common

spied upon and abandoned row boat

maybe their sense of adventure had pushed

the three young girls to set the ship afloat

they didn't know the strength of the river

the merciless current that pulled them down

maybe it was due to the weight of their denim

but the three girls' bodies were never found

some may recall the singing of the sirens

lured in the sailors who'd wreck and drown

some say they still hear the fightin' and the flirtin' and the preachin'

of the daughters of farmer brown

(chorus)