i'm as brown as brown can be,
my eyes are black as sloe.
i'm as brick as a night-time nightingale
as wild as the forest doe.
my love was high and proud,
a fortune by his side.
but a fairer maiden than ever i'll be
he took to his bride.
he sent me a letter of love,
he sent it from the town.
he wrote to tell me his love was gone
because i was so brown.
i sent back his letter of love,
and in anger i wrote down.
your love is wasted on such as me,
because i am so brown.
i'll dance upon your grave for twelve months and a day.
i'll do as much for you as any maiden may.
i'll make you rue the very day that you were born.
i'm a bonny brown girl.
i heard not another word more,
until six months passed by.
a doctor said he had a broken heart,
without me he would die.
i went to his bedside,
i walked and never ran.
i laughed so loud and then louder still
all at this love-sick man.
i'll dance upon your grave for twelve months and a day.
i'll do as much for you as any maiden may.
i'll make you rue the very day that you were born.
i'm a bonny brown girl.
"i prithee forget," said he,
"i prithee forget and forgive
oh, grant me just a little space
that i may be well and live."
i'll dance upon your grave for twelve months and a day.
i'll do as much for you as any maiden may.
i'll make you rue the very day that you were born.
i'm a bonny brown girl.
i'll dance upon your grave for twelve months and a day
for twelve months and a day.
you'll die for betraying a bonny brown girl
all on one summer's day.
i'll dance upon your grave for twelve months and a day.
i'll do as much for you as any maiden may.
i'll make you rue the very day that you were born.
i'm a bonny brown girl.