There was a woman in our town and in our town did dwell
She loved her husband dearly but another man twice as well

She went down to the doctor to see if she could find
Anything in the whole world to make her old man blind

Oh take him sixteen marrowbones and make him eat them all
And when he's finished he'll be so blind that he won't see you at all

So the doctor he wrote a letter and he sealed it with his hand
And he sent it up to the old man to make him understand

But the old man being a crafty bugger, he knew it all before
He ate them up and he says ``Me dear, I can't see you at all''

Says he, ``I'll go to the river, and there meself I'll drown''
Says she, ``I'll walk along with you to see that you don't fall down''

They walked along together till they come to the river's brim
So gently there she's kissed him and she crept away behind

She ran and she ran behind him to try to push him in
But the old man heard and he jumped aside and she went tumbling in

So loudly she did holler and loud for mercy call
But the old man says, ``I am so blind, I can't see you at all''

She swam and she swam and she swam around till she came to the further brim
But the old man got the barge pole and he pushed her further in

Oh it may take sixteen marrowbones to make your old man blind
But if you want to murder him you must creep up close behind