There once was a troop of Irish dragoons
Come marching down through Fife-e-O
And the captain fell in love with a very bonny lass
And her name it was called pretty Peggy-O

There's many a bonny lass in the town of Ackerglass
There's many a bonny lassie in the cheerie-O
There's many a bonny Jean in the streets of Aberdeen
But the flower of them all is in Fife-e-O

"Come down the stairs, pretty Peggy, my dear
Come down the stairs, pretty Peggy-O
Oh, come down the stairs, comb back your yellow hair
Bid a long farewell to your mammy-O

"I never did intend a soldiers's lady for to be
I never will marry a soldier-O
I never did intend to go to a foreign land
And I never will marry a soldier-O

The colonel he cried: "Mount, mount, boys, mount"
The captain he cried: "Tarry-O
Oh, tarry for a while, for another day or twa
Til I see if this bonny lass will marry-O"

Long 'ere we came to the town of Ackerglass
We had our captain to carry-O
And long 'ere we reached the streets of Aberdeen
We had our captain to bury-O

Green grow the birks on bonny Ethen-side
And low lie the lowlands of Fife-e-O
Well, the captain's name was Ned, and he died for a maid
He died for the chambermaid of Fife-e-O