THE BALLAD OF ANNIE PALMER
 

One time I was down to Jamaica to a place called Rose Hall Plantation
They grow a lot of sugarcane and tomatoes and things at Rose Hall now
It used to be just a sugarcane plantation back in the days of slavery
And they tell stories about the place and about the great house at Rose Hall
That many many years ago they came from the country of Haiti
A lady named Annie Palmer who lived in that great house there
And she was a mistress of the plantation she was the boss her word was law
Well they tell a lot of tales about Annie
They say she had three husbands one at a time I guess
But they also tell tales about Annie and the slaves
There were about 5000 slaves on the plantation
And she had her favorites and she had the ones that weren't her favorites
Well down on the sea there're three tall palm trees wavin' in the breeze
And they say that maybe Annie Palmer's three husbands
Are buried under those palm trees
D
On the Island of Jamaica quite a long long time ago
                                    E            A
At Rose Hall Plantation where the ocean breezes blow
D                                                
Lived a girl named Annie Palmer the mistress of the place
                                            A
And the slaves all lived in fear to see a frown on Annie's face

D
Where's your husband Annie where's number two and three
                                    E                   A
Are they sleeping neath the palms beside the Caribbean Sea
    D         
At night I hear you ridin' and I hear your lovers call
               A                                           D
And still can feel your presence round the great house at Rose Hall hmm

D                              
Well if you should ever go to see the great house at Rose Hall
                                         E                     A
There's expensive chairs and china and great paintings on the wall
          D        
They'll show you Annie's sitting room and the whipping post outside
      A                                             D
But they won't let you see the room where Annie's husbands died

D
Where's your husband Annie where's number two and three
                                    E                   A
Are they sleeping neath the palms beside the Caribbean Sea
     D
At night I hear you ridin' and I hear your lovers call
     A                                                     E
And still can feel your presence round the great house at Rose Hall hmm