C F/a C
There was an old lady lived by the sea shore
F/a
Bow and balance to be,
C F/a C F/a
There was an old lady lived by the sea shore
G7 C
number of daughters was one two three four
F/a C F/a
I'll be true to my love
G7 C
if my love will be true to me.
There was a young man who came courting them
The oldest one got struck on him
He gave the youngest a beaver hat
The older one got mad at that.
O sister, O sister let's walk the sea shore
[tape cut]
Additional verses (source: Alan Lomax thanks to Simon)
O sister, O sister let's walk the seashore and watch the ships as they sail oer While these two sisters were walking the shore the oldest pushed the youngest oer O sister, O sister please lend me your hand and you will have Willie and all of his land I never, I never will lend you a hand but I will have Will and all of his land Sometime she sank and sometime she swam until she came to the old mill dam The miller got his fishing hook and fished the maiden out of the brook O miller, O miller here's five gold rings to push the maiden in again The miller recieved those five gold rings and pushed the maiden in again The miller was hung as his mill gate for drowning little sister Kate
Yet another possible continuation, from the Mudcat Cafe:
He gave the youngest a gay gold ring The older, not a single thing. But when they reached the water's brim The oldest pushed the yougest in. O sister, O sister, O give me your hand And you may have my house and land. I will not give you my hand nor my glove But I will have your own true-love. Down she sank and away she swam And down to the miller's mill-pond she swam. O miller, O miller, there swims a swan A-swimming about in your mill-pond. The miller ran out with his fish-hook And fished that fair maid out of the brook. He's robbed her of her gay gold rings And into the pond he's pushed her again. The miller was hung at his mill gate For drowning of his sister, Kate.