As I was a-walking along ratcliffe highway
A recruiting party came a-beating my way.
They enlisted me and treated me 'til I did not know
Unto the queen's barracks they forced me to go.

When first I deserted, I thought myself free
Until my cruel comrade informed against me.
I was quickly followed after and brought back with speed,
I was handcuffed and guarded, heavy irons put on me.

Court martial, court martial, they held upon me
And the sentence passed upon me, three hundred and three.
May the lord have mercy on them for their sad cruelty,
For now the queen's duty lies heavy on me.

When next I deserted, I thought myself free
Until my cruel sweetheart informed against me.
I was quickly followed after and brought back with speed
I was handcuffed and guarded, heavy irons put on me.

Court martial, court martial then quickly was got
And the sentence passed upon me, that I was to be shot.
May the lord have mercy on them for their sad cruelty,
For now the queen's duty lies heavy on me,

Then up rode prince albert in his carriage and six,
Saying, ''where is that young man whose coffin is fixed?
Set him free from his irons and let him go free,
For he'll make a good soldier for his queen and country.''

• A Sailor's Life
• After Halloween
• Autopsy
• Ballad of Easy Rider
• Banks of The Nile
• Bird on a Wire
• Blow Away
• Blue Tattoo
• Blues Run The Game
• Bold Jack Donahue
• Book Song
• Box Full of Treasure
• Bring 'em Down
• Bruton Town
• By The Time It Gets Dark
• Cajun Woman
• Cold Feet
• Come All Ye
• Crazy Man Michael
• Dawn
• Dear Landlord
• Down Where The Drunkards Roll
• East Virginia
• Eastern Rain
• Eppy Moray
• Farewell, Farewell
• Forever Young
• Fotheringay
• Genesis Hall
• Geordie
• Georgia on My Mind
• Green Grow The Laurels
• Gypsy Davey
• Hearts
• Here in Silence
• I'll Keep It With Mine
• I'm Leaving
• If You Saw Thro' My Eyes
• In Memory
• Iron Lion
• It Ain't Me Babe
• Knockin' on Heavens Door
• Let It Go
• Let No Man Steal Your Thyme
• Lowlands of Holland
• Magic Lady
• Makes Me Think of You
• Man of Iron
• Matty Groves
• Million Dollar Bash
• Motherless Children
• Mr Lacey
• My Ramblin' Boy
• Never Ending
• Night-time Girl
• No Man's Land
• Nothing More
• Nottamun Town
• Now & Then
• On The Banks of The Condamine
• One More Chance
• Painted Ladies
• Peace in The End
• Percy's Song
• Pleasure Pain
• Polly on The Shore
• Possibly Parsons Green
• Reno, Nevada
• Restless
• Reynard The Fox
• Reynardine
• Rigs of The Time
• Ringing Down The Years
• Rising for The Moon
• Sir Patrick Spens
• Sloth
• Some Sweet Day
• Stranger to Himself
• Suzanne
• Take Away The Load
• Tale in Hard Time
• Tam Lin
• The Angels Took My Racehorse Away
• The Ballad of Ned Kelly
• The Battle of Evermore
• The Boatman
• The Deserter
• The Hexhamshire Lass
• The King & Queen of England
• The Leaves of Life
• The Plainsman
• The Pond & The Stream
• The Sea
• The Way I Feel
• Throwaway Street Puzzle
• Too Much of Nothing
• Twisted
• Two Weeks Last Summer
• What is True?
• White Dress
• Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
• Wild Mountain Thyme
• Winter Winds