Cryin’ child you’ve been inside, been inside, been in the house all day
Sad child won’t you go on, won’t you go on your poor unhappy way
A-I-A-I-O     A-I-A-I-A

You know that boy, the mean one down, the mean one down, the boy from across the way
For that boy, get on your knees, get on your knees, cross yourself and pray
And down I, down I go, and down I down I stay

Cold River, there’s a rocky bed
At Cold River the water’s red

Saw that boy lookin’ wild, lookin’ wild anxious and distraught

I was in my best dress, my best dress, the new one that I bought
And oh I oh I ran and oh I oh I fought

At Cold River the water’s red
At Cold River I left him dead

There’ll be another child, another soul, another mouth to feed
And it’ll know the pain of life, the pain of life, this roughly planted seed
And as it as it grows, so I so I wait
And as it as it loves, so I so I hate