I met a little girl in Knoxville,

A town we all know well.

And every Sunday evenin',

Out in her home I dwell.

We went to take an evenin' walk

About a mile from town.

I picked a stick up off the ground

And I knocked that fair girl down.

She fell down on her bended knees

And mercy she did cry.

"Oh really dear, don't kill me yet,

I'm unprepared to die..."

She never spoke another word,

I only beat her more

Until the ground around me

With her blood did flow.



I took her by her golden curls And I dragged her round and round,

Throwing her into the river

That flows through Knoxville town...

"Go down, go down Knoxville girl!

With your dark and roven eyes...

Yeah, go down, go down Knoxville girl!

You can never be my bride."



I started back to Knoxville,

Got there about midnight.

My mother she was worried

And woke up in a fright

"Say there son, what have you done

To bloody up your clothes?"

I told my anxious mother

I was bleedin' of my nose.



I called for me a-candle

And I called for me a-bed

And I called for me a-handkerchief

To bind my achin' head.

I rolled and trashed the whole night through

Oh, horrors I did see:

The devil stood at the foot of my bed

Pointin' his finger at me.



They carried me down to Knoxville

And put me in a cell.

My friends all tried to get me out

But none could post my bail.

I'm here to waste my life away

Down in this dirty old jail

Because I murdered that Knoxville girl,

Girl I loved so well.