Johnny be fair and Johnny be fine and wants me for to wed
And I would marry Johnny but me father to me said
I have to tell you daughter what your mother never knew
That Johnny is a son of mine so he's kin to you
Well, Billy be fair and Billy be fine and wants me for to wed
And I would marry Billy but me father to me said
I have to tell you daughter what your mother never knew
But Billy is a son of mine and so he's kin to you
Well, Jimmy be fair and Jimmy be fine and wants me for to wed
And I would marry Jimmy but me father to me said
I hate to tell you daughter what your mother never knew
But Jimmy is a son of mine and so he's kin to you
Oh, you've never seen me, you've never seen me
A girl so sad and sorry as I was
The boys in town are all akin to me, father is the cause
If life should but continue, I should die a single death
And so I'll go to mother and complain to her of this
Well, daughter, heaven, I taught you to forgive and to forget
And though your father sowed his oats, well, still you needn't fret
Your father may be a good man, but he's a good man
He'll be father to all the boys in town and still
He's not the one who fathered you, so marry who you will