She fell in the river, before she could cry
The springtide pulled her under
I jumped into save her, the waves came like fire
They pushed me aside as they flung her
Her neck snapped like a branch as her head hit the banks
And the rocks ripped her blue dress right from her
I closed my eyes tight at the sight of her flesh
I could not watch Rosalie suffer
Oh, black water's rising, black water's high
Mother, oh mother, I took your daughter down by the water oaks
To hear the loons cry, as I gazed in her eyes, asked her to be my betrothed
She danced with excitement, her hands trembled in mine
She was joyful when the sky rolled in with thunder
When the clouds opened wide and started to pour
She slipped from my grasp into black water
Oh, black water's rising, black water's high
An officer came quick and drew pictures of the last place I saw her
Mother, I loved her, I started to shiver when he asked me to recount her slaughter
He showed me a blue sleeve dug from under the leaves
A broken tooth, he could prove it was hers
A vial of soil from the roots of the trees
Soaked with the blood of my sweet Rosalie
You told me yourself she was a quarrelsome girl, I never took heed of your slander
When I asked her to wed, she lay down and wept
Her true love had fled, she'd rather be dead than forced to love some other
The child in her belly wasn't mine
Your Rosalie Wild was untrue, unkind
I only slapped her once on the cheek
To raise her from her slumber, exorcise her demons
She wouldn't stop her crying, she wouldn't stop her screaming
And she called me a thief and a liar
Oh, black water's rising, it's bringing up the body of Rosalie Wild
My deeds, I'll explain, no one can blame me
I did the same any man would do
I picked up a rock and I smashed her head thrice
Kicked in her teeth with the heel of my boot
I took her limp body, threw it to sea
I never dreamed what could dredge up dear Rosalie
I beg for your mercy, consider my love
If the child had been mine, I would've made her my bride
I could've shown Rosalie Wild how to love me
Oh, black water's rising, black water's rising, black water's high
Black rain keeps on flooding her blood from the sky
Black water's high, It's bringing up the body of Rosalie Wild