Chorus:

By the banks of the roses, my love and I sat down

And I took out me fiddle for to play my love a tune

In the middle of the tune, me boys, she sighed and she said

"Oh Johnny, lovely Johnny, don't you leave me!"

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

Chorus

Oh well, I am no runaway, and sure I'll have you know

That I can take the bottle, or can leave it alone

And if he doesn't like it, he can leave his daughter home

And young Johnny will go courtin' with another

Chorus

When I get married, 'twill be in the month of May

When the leaves they are green, and the meadows they are gay

Me and my true love will sit and sport and play

By the lovely sweet banks of the roses

Chorus