On Top of Old Smoky

On top of old Smoky
All covered with snow
I lost my true lover
From courting too slow

Though courting’s a pleasure
And parting is grief
A false-hearted lover
Is worse than a thief

For a thief will just rob you
And take all you have
But a false-hearted lover
Will lead you to the grave

The grave will decay you
And turn you to dust
Not a boy in a thousand
That a poor girl can trust

They’ll hug you and kiss you
And tell you more lies
Than cross-ties on a railroad
Or stars in the skies

So come all you maidens
And listen to me
Never place your affections
On a green willow tree

For the green leaves will wither
And the roots will all die
You’ll all be forsaken
And never know why

On top of old Smoky
All covered with snow
I lost my true lover
From courting too slow

       

Here is Red Foley and his Ozark Jubilee singers, singing this traditional folksong way back in the 1950s: