On the banks of the roses, my love and I sat down
And I took out my violin to play my love a tune
In the middle of the tune, O she sighed and she said

O Johnny, lovely Johnny, Would you leave me
O when I was a young man, I heard my father say
That he'd rather see me dead and buried in the clay
Sooner than be married to any runaway
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
O then I am no runaway and soon I'll let them know
I can take a good glass or leave it alone
And the man that doesn't like me, he can keep
his daughter home
And young Johnny will go roving with another
And if ever I get married, twill be in the month of May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows
they are gay
And I and my true love can sit and sport and play
On the lovely sweet banks of the roses