Cat. #0318 (MFH #508) - As sung by Mr. Fred High, High, Arkansas on February 11, 1959
VERSE 1
O, come home my loving Johnny
Pretty Polly's been crying for you all this week
Johnny come home
VERSE 2
Young Johnny's been on sea
Young Johnny's been on shore
Young Johnny's been on sea
Jest where he's been before
He's poor as poor can be
(When he come home, he hung down his head)
VERSE 3
Young Johnny's feeling wearyed
He hung down his head
Calling for a canel
To light 'im off to bed
Says, th big beds, their all full of strangers
An' they have been all th week
An' for your lodging, Johnny
There's no place to sleep
VERSE 4
Young Johnny turned his pale face
Up against th wall
He begin to search
An' he begin to haul
Says, there's twenty of th young
An' there's thirty of th ole
Young Johnny pulling out
Both hands full of gold
VERSE 5
Down come pretty Polly
With a smile on her face
An' threw her arms around 'im
An' him she did embrace
Says, th big beds, their all empty
An' they have been all th week
Says, come my loving Johnny
Let's take a pleasant sleep
VERSE 6
Before I'd lie there
I would lie in the street
Fer when I was poor
No lodgin' could I meet
But now, I am very rich
An' I'll make th taverns hurl
An' with a bottle o' brandy
An' on my knee, a girl