George Collins walked out one May morning / When May was all in bloom / And who
should he see but a fair pretty maid / A washing her white marble stone
She whooped she hollered she called so loud / She waved her lilywhite hand /
Come hither to me George Collins cried she / For your life it won’t last you
long
Then he rode home to his father’s own house / And loudly knocked at the ring /
Arise, arise dear father he cried / Rise and let me in
Oh arise, arise dear mother he cried / Rise and make off my bed / Arise arise
dear sister he cried / Get a napkin to tie round my neck
For if I should die tonight / As I suppose I shall / Please bury me neat that
white marble stone / That lies in fair Ellender’s hall
Fair Ellender sat all in her hall / Weaving her silks so fine / And who should
she see but the finest corpse / That ever her eyes shone on
Fair Ellender called unto her head maid / Whose corpse is this so fine / She
made her reply George Collins' corpse / An old true love of mine
Oh put him down my little brave boys / And open his coffin so wide / That I may
kiss his red ruby lips / Ten thousand times they’ve kissed mine
This news being carried to fair London town / Wrote on London gate / Six pretty
maids died all in one night / 'Twas all for George Collins' sake