| There lived a lady on the North Sea shore
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| She had two daughters that she adored
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| The youngest daughter born to sweet delight
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| The eldest daughter born to greed and spite
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| A knight came for the fairest in the land
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| He was promised the young girl’s hand
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| Grimmest envy in the elder grew
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| She planned to steal her sister’s lover true
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| «Oh darling sister won’t you come with me»
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| «To watch the swans swimming in the sea?»
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| On the rocks where the mermaids sing
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| The elder sister pushed the younger in
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| «Oh cruel sister, please let me live»
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| «And all that’s mine to you I’ll give»
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| «I'll take your true love and I’ll take more»
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| «For I never let you come ashore»
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| The fair girl drowned beneath the North Sea foam
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| Her broken body washed up on the stones
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| Three wytches found her in the dead of night
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| And wove a spell to put her soul at right
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| They made a harp out of her skin and bone
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| The tuning pegs made from her finger bones
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| They took nine locks of her golden hair
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| And with them strung the harp so rare
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| The took the harp on to her mother’s hall
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| And set it down to play before them all
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| The Harp of Death began to play alone
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| The sweetest song to melt a heart of stone
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| Golden Strings rang out a truthful sound
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| The elder sister has the younger drowned
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| Strings of sorrow made of golden curls
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| Wreak their vengeance on the black-haired girl
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la
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| The song it ends here dark and low
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| Lay the bent to the bonnie broom
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| And surely now her blood will flow
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| Fa la la la la la la la la la |