The returning soldier
Once I courted a fair beauty bride
I courted her by day and I courted her by night
Her parents found out that I courted her for love
They locked her in the sitting room and threw the key away
Well I rapped upon her window just to let her know
I rapped on her window as hard as I could go
I rapped on her window, she answered me and cried
I'll never forget you Johnny, until the day I die
Then a thought struck me then, to the army I would go
To see if my true love would forsake me or no
But when I got there the army shone so bright
It put me in remembrance of my own true heart's delight
Now seven long years before that I returned
Back to my own my native land again
Her parents saw me coming they wrung their hands and cried
Our daughter loved you dearly and for your sake she died
Well I stood there like a man gone deranged
The tears come down my cheeks like small showers of rain
Crying Lord have mercy on me and tell me what to do
My true love's sleeping in her grave and I want to go there too
From Tom.
I have no idea what the title is.
You can hear the clock ticking, and as always the chair creaking as he rocks back and forth.
In other versions he is forced into the army, and in one he ends up in the looney bin (New Bedlam) rattling his chains.
Other versions have a (more plausible) "fair beauty bright".