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Lily of the West

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This traditional English ballad is frequently credited to Eileen Davies Mure and James D. Peterson, but that is just ridiculous.

Recorded June 3 or 5, 1970
 

Am . . . |. . . . |
Am . C |G . . . |F . Am . . . |. . . .
C  . . |G . . . |F . . . |Am . . .
F  . . |G . . . |Am G Am . . . |
C  . . |G . . . |F . Am . . . |. . . .

     Am              C    G           F                 Am
When first I came to Louisville, some pleasure there to find,
                    C     G       F              Am
A damsel there from Lexington was pleasing to my mind.
    F                     G          Am     /g         Am
Her rosy cheeks, her ruby lips, like arrows pierced my breast
                      C  G       F           Am
The name she bore was Flora, the Lily of the West.
                           C  G       F           Am
(And the name she bore was Flora, the Lily of the West.)
I courted lovely Flora, some pleasure for to find,
But she turned unto another man, which sore distressed my mind.
She robbed me of my liberty, deprived me off my rest --
Then go, my lovely Flora, the Lily of the West.
(Then go, my lovely Flora, the Lily of the West.)
'Way down in yonder shady grove, a man of high degree
Conversing with my Flora there, which seemed so strange to me.
And the answer that she gave to him, it sore did me opress
I was betrayed by Flora, the Lily of the West.
(I was betrayed by Flora, the Lily of the West.)
I stepped up to my rival, dagger in my hand.
I seized him by the collar, and boldly made him stand.
Being mad by desperation, I pierced him through the breast
All this for lovely Flora, the Lily of the West.
(All this for lovely Flora, the Lily of the West.)
I had to stand my trial, I had to make my plea;
They placed me in the witness box, and then commenced on me.
Although she swore my life away, deprived me of my rest
Still I love my faithless Flora, the Lily of the West.
(Still I love my faithless Flora, the Lily of the West.)

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