'twas a bonnie bunch of roses that my true love gave to me
she courted me quite freely when she was seventeen
she courted me so fully that it went right to my head
and twas a boonie bunch of roses that i left beside her bed

no, i never told a falsehood and i never told a lie
i just stretched the bonnie truth a bit until i said goodbye
but twas never my intention to go and make her cry
that bonnie bunch of roses was a thorn into my side

so i went off to seek my fortune as the only thing to do
i went and bought a racehorse who only missed a shoe
i was thinking 'bout the wagers and thinking bout the bets
and the bonnie bunch of roses
they wonld place around his neck

well, 'round the final corner and 'round the final peg
my bonnie bunch of roses went and broke his bonnie leg
and 'twas me who did the running towards the bonnie red sunset
'cause it weren't no bloody roses they were puttin' round me neck

so i went off to join the army as the only thing to do
the duke of york was drafting bout a thousand troops or two
and he gave us all a uniforrn and gave us all a nag
with a bonnie bunch of roses on the shield and on the flag

then he marched us 'round the town and marched us down the glen
and he marched us up the bloody hill and marched us down again
but there weren't so many coming down as there were going up
and 'twas a bonnie bunch of rosesthat we placed upon the plots

so i went back to find my true love as the only thing to do
i went and said "i m sorry" and then i said "i do"
for she was full of surprises as soon it was i learned
it weren't no bunch of roses handed me on my return

and now i m down to the pub most every afternoon
my pension buys a pint and the children ask a tune
sing "the bonnie bunch of roses" and sing it once again
that bonnie bunch of roses gonna be my ball and chain