Ellen

In Winston Salem North Carolina was a man named Peter DeGraff
He wasn’t much, no good, and lazy, but a handsome one at that
He met a girl down at the bar. It proved a fateful day
She wanted him to marry her. A child was on the way

The baby died a short time after she came into the world
The mom she cried her face away for the precious little girl
She followed Peter around the county, he wouldn’t pay her no mind
He finally sent to her a note saying meet me in the pines

She wore her finest dress and bonnet to please young Peter best
But he pulled a pistol from his pocket and he shot her in the chest
They finally found him and built a scafell, six thousand came to see
Peter said the last words that she spoke were God have mercy on me

He told the crowd not to chase fast women, drink whiskey, or gamble their pay
Or surely they would wind up swinging, just like he would be today
The truth be told you all know the story, it was a crying shame
The girl who died is known by all and Ellen was her name

Poor Ellen Smith how she was found
Shot thru the heart lying cold on the ground