Where have you been all the day,
my boy Willie?
Where have you been all the day, Willie,
won't you tell me now?
I have been all the day
courting with my lady Gaye.
But she is too young to
be taken from her mammy.
But she is too young to be
taken from her mammy.
Can she brew and can she bake,
my boy Willie?
Can she brew and can she bake,
Willie, won't you tell me now?
She can brew, she can bake,
she can make a wedding cake
But she is too young to be
taken from her mammy
But she is too young to be
taken from her mammy
Can she weave and can she spin,
my boy Willie?
Can she weave and can she spin, Willie,
won't you tell me now?
She can weave, she can spin,
she can do most anything
But she is too young to be
taken from her mammy
But she is too young to be
taken from her mammy
Can she make up a bed, my boy Willie?
Can she make up a bed, Willie,
won't you tell me now?
She can make up a bed
forty feet above her head
But she is too young to be
taken from her mammy
But she is too young to be
taken from her mammy
How old is she then, my boy Willie?
How old is she then, Willie,
won't you tell me now?
Twice six, twice seven,
twice twenty and eleven
But she is too young to be
taken from her mammy
But she is too young
to be taken from her mammy
Did you ask her to wed, my boy Willie?
Did you ask her to wed, Willie,
won't you tell me now?
Yes, I asked her to wait,
and what do you think she said?
I am much too young to be
taken from my Mammy.
I am much too young to be
taken from my Mammy.