Note: this song is somewhat difficult to follow (I get the
feeling a verse was lost or significantly altered over time), and the
whole thing is kind of disturbing. It ends on a bizarre metaphor, as
well. Those crazy English...
I once was invited to a nobleman's wedding
And all that were there were to sing just one song
The first one to sing was the bride's former lover
The song that he sang was of days that were gone
How can you sit at another man's table
How can you drink of another man's wine
How can you lie on another man's pillow
You being so long a true-love of mine?
The bride she was seated at the head of the table
Hearing those words she remembered so well
Verse after verse, she could bear it no longer
Till down at the foot of the table she fell
One request, one request, from you that I'm asking
The first and the last, this favor shall be
And that is the first night to lie with my mother
All the rest of my days I will lie beside thee
Sighing and sobbing, she arose from the table
Sighing and sobbing, she went to her bed
Early next morning when her husband awakened
He went to 'brace her and found she was dead
O Molly, lovely Molly, cruel-hearted Molly
I loved you better than you'll ever love me
But I stole you away from your true-lover Johnny
It's then I separated the bark from the tree.
(English folk song, original author unknown) | 
