TWENTY YEARS AGO
LAST CHRISTMAS
CAME A TEMPTER
TO MY WIFE
STOLE THE ONLY
FLOWER I CHERISHED
AND I VOWED
I'D HAVE HIS LIFE
IN THE STREET
ONE DAY I MET HIM
IN MY EYES
THAT VILLAIN GRINNED
THEN THE CURSE
OF CAIN CAME O'ER ME
'TWAS ON THAT VERY DAY
I SINNED
SURE I DREAM AS THE HAMMER
STRIKES THE ANVIL
AND I DREAM AS THE SPARKS
LIGHT ON THE FLOOR
OF MY BLUE-EYED
TURTLE DOVE
SHE'S THE ONLY GIRL I LOVE
AS SHE STOOD OUTSIDE
THAT GOOD OLD SMITHY DOOR
TWELVE MONTHS PASSED
THEN CAME MY TRIAL
IN THE COURT I SAW MY WIFE
AND I HEARD HER
BEG FOR MERCY
WHEN THEY
SENTENCED ME FOR LIFE
FOR TWELVE LONG YEARS
I'VE READ HER LETTERS
THE ONLY COMFORT I CAN TELL
WHEN I HEARD
THAT SHE WAS DYING
'TWAS THEN
MY LONELY SPIRITS FELL
SURE I DREAM AS THE HAMMER
STRIKES THE ANVIL
AND I DREAM AS THE SPARKS
LIGHT ON THE FLOOR
OF MY BLUE-EYED
TURTLE DOVE
SHE'S THE ONLY GIRL I LOVE
AS SHE STOOD OUTSIDE
THAT GOOD OLD SMITHY DOOR
LATE ONE NIGHT
I DODGED THE WARDERS
O'ER THE PRISON WALLS
I SPRANG
THEN GOT HOME
FOOT-SORE AND WEARY
AT THE BREAKING OF THE DAWN
SHE WAS GLAD
SO GLAD TO SEE ME
IN MY ARMS
THAT NIGHT SHE DIED
THEN THE WARDERS
RUSHED THE DOORWAY
AND THEY FOUND ME
THERE INSIDE
WHEN THEY SAW
HER LIFELESS BODY
AND I KNEELING ON THE FLOOR
THEY SAID JACK, MY LAD
WE'LL TRUST YOU
COME BACK
WHEN YOU'VE LAID HER LOW
SURE I DREAM AS THE HAMMER
STRIKES THE ANVIL
AND I DREAM AS THE SPARKS
LIGHT ON THE FLOOR
OF MY BLUE-EYED
TURTLE DOVE
SHE'S THE ONLY GIRL I LOVE
AS SHE STOOD OUTSIDE
THAT GOOD OLD SMITHY DOOR