“Early One Morning”, also known as “The Lovesick Maiden” is an English folk song that dates back to 1787. It was cataloged by Roud #12682. I learned this song in glee club at the Latin School of Chicago in the late 1950s. It has such a lovely melody that I decided not to add harmony.
Lyrics:
[E] Early one morning,
[A] Just as the sun was [B] rising,
[E] I heard a young maid sing,
[A] In the [B] valley down [E] below.
[A] Just as the sun was [B] rising,
[E] I heard a young maid sing,
[A] In the [B] valley down [E] below.
CHORUS:
[B] Oh, don’t [E] deceive me,
[B] Oh, never [E] leave me,
How could you [A] use
A [B] poor maiden [E] so?
Remember the vows,
You made to your Mary,
Remember the bow’r,
Where you vowed to be true,
Chorus
Oh Gay is the garland,
And fresh are the roses,
I’ve culled from the garden,
To place upon thy brow.
Chorus
Thus sang the poor maiden,
Her sorrows bewailing,
Thus sang the poor maid,
In the valley down below.
Chorus
Early one morning,
Just as the sun was rising,
I heard a young maid sing,
In the valley down below.
Chorus