The Cuckoo

Oh it's night after night love
I do lay on my bed
With the pillows of feathers
All under my head
Neither sleeping nor waking
Oh no rest can I take
But the thought of that young man
He still troubles my mind
I will rise then, I will meet him love
As the evening draws nigh
I will meet him in the evening
As the evening draws nigh
Well if you think you love a little girl
Oh your mind for to ease
Then why can't you love the old one
Till the new one comes on
It's like the flowers all in your garden
When the beauty's all gone
Can't you see what I've come to
By loving that one
Oh your grave he will rot you
He will rot you all away
There's not one young man out of twenty
A young man can you trust
So I'll take my week's wages
Unto an alehouse I'll go
And it's there I'll sit drinking
Till my money's all gone
Here's my wife and little family
All at home starving too
And there's me in this alehouse
Oh spending all I earn
Oh the cuckoo, she's called a merry bird
Love don't she sing as she flies
And she brings us good tidings
And she tells us no lies
And she sucks all small bird's eggs
For to keep her voice clear
And every time she hollers cuckoo
Don't the summer draw nigh