When I was on horseback, wasn't I pretty When I was on horseback at the break of the day Wasn't I pretty when I rode from the city And met with my downfall on the first day of May Come mother, come father, and sit down beside me Come sit down beside me and hear my sad case For my poor heart it is breaking, and my head it is aching And my soldier has left me in shame and disgrace Why couldn't he tell me before he disordered me Why didn't he tell me his secret in time For I could have bought pills, and the salts of white mercury But now I am done for, and cut down in my prime So beat the drum slowly, and play the pipes lowly Play me a dead march as we come along And lift my wretched body and lay me down easy I'm a true hearted girl, never meant to do wrong