Carrie darlin' Carrie
Carrie Brown I cry
If I can't marry Carrie Brown
Believe I'd rather die
Believe I'd rather die, boys
Believe I'd rather die
The first time I saw Carrie Brown
She was so young and fair
A voice like spring rain fallin' down
And sunlight in her hair
I'd never seen her face before
So I asked all around
Her daddy owns a grocery store
And she lives in Bristol town
Carrie darlin' Carrie
Carrie Brown I cry
If I can't marry Carrie Brown
Believe I'd rather die
Believe I'd rather die, boys
Believe I'd rather die
I laid my last ten dollars down
Though I didn't need a thing
Just to touch sweet Carrie Brown
When she handed me my change
I hung around 'till closin' time
I scarce believed my eyes
My darlin' walkin' arm in arm
With a boy named Billy Wise
Carrie darlin' Carrie
Carrie Brown I cry
If I can't marry Carrie Brown
Believe I'd rather die
Believe I'd rather die, boys
Believe I'd rather die
I walked around in Bristol town
A bitter broken man
A heart that pined for Carrie Brown
And a pistol in my hand
We met again on State Street
Poor Billy Wise and me
I shot him in Virginia
And he died in Tennessee
Carrie darlin' Carrie
Carrie Brown I cry
If I can't marry Carrie Brown
Believe I'd rather die
Believe I'd rather die, boys
Believe I'd rather die
Now I'm down in the Bristol jail
And all I do is cry
'Cause the jury found me guilty
And the judge says I must die
I'm just a poor young mountain boy
Ain't never been to town
And I've come to ruination
For the love of Carrie Brown
Carrie darlin' Carrie
Carrie Brown I cry
If I can't marry Carrie Brown
Believe I'd rather die
Believe I'd rather die, boys
Believe I'd rather die