“Comb back your hair, Fair Annie,” he cries
“Comb it back into your crown
For you must live a maiden's life
When I bring my new bride home”

“But how can I look maiden-like
When maiden I am none?
For it's six bonny boys have I had by you
And a seventh coming on?”

“Now you will bake my bread,” he says
“And you will keep my rooms
And you will welcome my lady gay
When I bring my new bride home”

And on the door he's hung a silken towel
Pinned with a silver pin
That Fair Annie she might wipe her eyes
As she goes out and in

Six months gone and I'm coming on
She has thought the time o'er-long
And she's taken her spyglass all into her hand
And up the high tower she has run

She has look-ed east, she has look-ed west
She's looked all under the sun
And what should she see but Lord Thomas's ship
He's bringing of his new bride home

“Should I dress in green?” she says
“Should I dress in black?
Should I go down to the raging main
And send my soul to wrack?”

“You need not dress in green,” says her oldest son
“Nor need you dress in black
But throw you wide the great hall doors
And welcome my father back”

She has served them with the best of the wine
She has served them all 'round
But she drank water all from the well
For to keep her spirits down

She's waited on on them all the livelong day
And she thought the time o'er long
Then she's taken her flute all into her hand
And up to her bower she has run

She has fluted east, she has fluted west
She's blown both loud and shrill
She says, “I wished that my sons there were seven greyhounds
I was a wolf on the hill”

“Come downstairs,” the new bride said
“Come down the stairs to me
And tell me the name of your father dear
And I'll tell mine to thee”

“Well, King Douglas it was my father's name
And Queen Chatten was my mother
Sweet Mary, she was my sister dear
As Prince Henry was my brother”

“Well, if King Douglas it is your father's name
And Queen Chatten is your mother
Then I'm sure that I am your sister dear
As Prince Henry, he is our brother”

“And I have seven ships all out upon the sea
They are loaded to the brim
And you shall have the six of them
And the seventh for to carry me home

You shall have the six of them
When we've had Lord Thomas burned!”

“Comb back your hair, Fair Annie,” he cries
“Comb it back into your crown
For you must live a maiden's life
When I bring my new bride home”