Black Jack Davy come a ridin’ by a whistlin’ and a singin’

Made the woods around him ring and charmed the heart of a lady

He charmed the heart of a lady.

 

How old are you my pretty little miss? How old are you my honey?

She answered him with a lover’s smile: I’ll be sixteen this Sunday

I’ll be sixteen this Sunday.

 

Come go with me my pretty little miss, come go with me my honey

I’ll take you where the grass grows green and you’ll never want for money

You’ll never want for money.

 

Pull off pull off those high heeled shoes all made of the Spanish leather

Get behind me on my horse and we’ll ride off together

We’ll both ride off together.

 

Well she pulled off those high heeled shoes all made of the Spanish leather

Got behind him on his horse and they rode off together

They both rode off together.

 

That night her husband he came home inquiring for his lady

Servant spoke before she thought, she’s with the Black-Jack Davy

Rode off with Black-Jack Davy.

 

Go saddle me up my coal black stud, he’s speedier than the gray

I rode all day and I’ll ride all night and I’ll overtake my lady

Yes I’ll bring home my lady.

 

Well he rode all night ‘till the broad daylight, ‘till he came to the river a ragin’

There he spied his darling bride in the arms of Black-Jack Davy

Wrapped up with Black-Jack Davy.

Pull off pull off those long blue gloves all made of the finest leather

Give to me your lily white hand and we’ll go home together

We’ll both go home together.

Well she pulled off those long blue gloves all made of the finest leather

Gave to him her lily white hand and said good bye forever

She said good bye forever.

 

Would you forsake your house and home would you forsake your baby?

Would you forsake your husband too, to go with Black-Jack Davy

Ride off with Black-Jack Davy?

Well she’s forsaken her house and home and she’s forsaken her baby

And she’s forsaken her husband too, to go with Black-Jack Davy

Ride off with Black-Jack Davy.

 

Last night she slept on a feather bed between her husband and baby

Tonight she lays on the riverbank in the arms of Black-Jack Davy

She loves her Black-Jack Davy.

And no doubt they lived happily ever after. Or did they? Here's a different version:

Gypsy Laddie

Child #200

An English lord came home one night,

Inquiring for his lady,

The servants said on ev'ry hand,

She's gone with the gypsy laddie.

 

Go saddle up my milk-white steed,

Go saddle me up my brownie,

And I will ride both night and day,

Till I overtake my bonnie.

 

Oh he rode east and he rode west,

Until at last he found her,

She was lying on the green, green grass,

And the gypsy's arms around her.

 

Oh, how can you leave your house and land,

How can you leave your money,

How can you leave your rich young lord,

To be a gypsy's bonnie?

 

How can you leave your house and land,

How can you leave your baby,

How can you leave your rich young lord,

To be a gypsy's lady?

 

Oh come go home with me, my dear,

Come home and be my lover,

I'll furnish you with a room so neat,

With a silken bed and covers.

 

I won't go home with you, kind sir,

Nor will I be your lover,

I care not for your rooms so neat,

Or your silken bed or your covers.

 

It's I can leave my house and land,

And I can leave my baby,

I'm a-goin' to roam this world around,

And be a gypsy's lady.

 

Oh, soon this lady changed her mind,

Her clothes grew old and faded,

Her hose and shoes came off her feet,

And left them bare and naked.

 

Just what befell this lady now,

I think it worth relating,

Her gypsy found another lass,

And left her heart a-breaking.

 

Indeed.