as i was out walkin and ramblin one day i spied a fair couple a comin my way one was a lady as fair as could be and the other was a cowboy and a brave one was he he said where are you goin my pretty fair maid just down by the river just down by the shade just down by the river just down by the spring to see the wild ripplin waters and hear the nightingale sing well they hadn t been there but an hour or so til he drew from his satchel a fiddle and bow he tuned his old fiddle all on the high string and he played this tune over and over again then said the cowboy i should have been gone no no said the pretty maid just play one more song i d rather hear the fiddle just played on one string than see the wild ripplin waters and hear the nightingale sing he tuned up his fiddle and rosined his bow and he played her a lecture he play it so low he played her a lecture all on the high string hark hark said the pretty maid hear the nightingale sing she says dear cowboy will you marry me no no pretty maid that never can be i ve a wife in arizona a lady is she one wife and one ranch are plenty for me i ll go to mexico and i ll stay there one year i ll drink a lot of wine i ll drink a lot of beer if i ever come back it will be in the spring to see the wild ripplin waters and hear the nightingale sing come all you young ladies take warning from me never place your affections in a cowboy so free he ll go away and leave you as mine left me leave you rocking the cradle singing bye oh baby 