Cat. #0641 (MFH #670) - As sung by Reba Dearmore, Mountain Home, Arkansas on January 7, 1969
VERSE 1
T'was in th town of Nero
I used to live an' dwell
And was in th town of Waxferd
That I owned a flour mill
I fell in love with th Waxferd girl
With th dark an' rolling eye
And this was her reply
VERSE 2
We went down to her sisters house
Th wedding to provide
I ask her to walk with me
Along th river side
We walked along and we talked along
Till we came to level ground
I drew a stake from off th fence
And I knocked that lady down
VERSE 3
She fell upon her bended knees
Have mercy, she did cry
O, Johnny do not murder me
For I'm not prepared to die,
I paid no heed to what she said
I threw her on th mall
Th ground all around her
Was covered with th bloody froth
VERSE 4
I picked her up by th yellow locks
And I flung her 'round an 'round
I threw her in th river
That runs through Waxferd town
Lie there, lie there, you Waxferd girl
Lie there, lie there, I cried
Lie there, lie there, you Waxferd girl
To me you'll never be tied
VERSE 5
T'was ten o'clock or after
When I got home that night
There sit my dear old Mother
All in a dreadful fright
O Son, O Son, what have you done
To soil your hands an' clothes
The answer that I gave to her
Was th bleeding at th nose
VERSE 6
I called for a candle
To light me off to bed
Th next was for hankerchief
To tie my aching head
I turned around about th room
No comfort could I find
Th flames of Hell flow'n 'round me
An' th Waxferd girl behind
VERSE 7
Come all ye young people
Take warning from me
Don't kill your true lover
It is a cruelty
It is a cruelty