Banks of the Ohio 1. I asked my love to take a walk Just a walk, a little way That she and I may have a talk All about our wedding day. Chorus: Then only say that you'll be mine And our home will happy be Down beside where the waters flow On the banks of the Ohio. 2. I held a knife close to her breast Closely to her bosom pressed. Oh Willie dear, don't murder me For I am unprepared to die. Chorus 3. I took her by the lily white hand Led her to the river strand Plunged her in where she would drown And stood and watched where she floated down. Chorus 4. Returning home 'twixt twelve and one Thinking 'bout the deed I done I drowned the girl that I loved best Because she would not be my bride. Chorus Lyrics as recorded by Bascomb Lamar Lunsford in 1953. From Wikipedia: “The song is superficially similar to other murder ballads in the idiom such as Omie Wise and more especially Pretty Polly, which is also generally narrated in the first person by a killer called Willie. However, it differs significantly in the narrative; the killer explains why he killed his love, and spends much of the song expressing his sorrow and regret. Musically, it is distinguished by a long refrain which calmly reflects the love and the hopes for the future which he felt before the murder. This gives a different psychological tone to the song, and accompanying singers (or indeed the audience) the possibility of singing along in chorus.”