On top of Old Smokey All covered with snow I lost my true lover For a courting too slow For courting is a pleasure And parting is grief And a false hearted lover Is worse than a thief A thief will just rob you And take all you have But a false hearted lover Will lead you to the grave The grave will decay you And turn you to dust Not one boy in a hundred A poor girl can trust They'll hug you and kiss you And tell you more lies Than cross-ties on a railroad Or stars in the sky So come all young maidens And listen to me Never place your affections On a green willow tree The roots they will wither The leaves they will die You'll all be forsaken And never know why