"Banks of the Ohio" is a 19th century murder ballad, written by unknown authors, in which "Willie" invites his young lover for a walk during which she rejects his marriage proposal. Once they are alone on the river bank, he murders the young woman. It is also known by the longer title Down On The Banks Of The Ohio The first recording of the song was by Red Patterson's Piedmont Log Rollers on August 12, 1927. The song has since been recorded numerous times, such as by New Lost City Ramblers, The Wolfe Tones, G. B. Grayson and Henry Whitter (as "I'll Never Be Yours"), Ernest Stoneman, Clayton McMichen, Bascom Lamar Lunsford, The Carter Family, Blue Sky Boys (whose version, performed in 1936, appears in the soundtrack of the 1973 film Paper Moon), Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, Pete Seeger, Monroe Brothers, Joan Baez, Olivia Newton-John (with Mike Sammes, in 1971, her second commercial single in the United States), Dave Guard and the Whiskeyhill Singers, Mike Ireland and Holler, The Callagan Brothers, and Doc Watson, with slightly different lyrics when sung by a female. The song is similar in subject to "Pretty Polly", and likely tells the same story (Both songs date from approximately the same time, tell roughly the same story, and feature a villain named "Willie").

Banks of the Ohio

I asked my love to take a walk,

To take a walk, just a little walk,

Down beside where the waters flow,

Down by the banks of the Ohio

And only say that you'll be mine

In no others arms entwine,

Down beside where the waters flow,

Down by the banks of the Ohio

I held a knife against her breast,

And into my arms she pressed,

She cried, "Oh Willie, don't murder me

I'm not prepared for eternity."

And only say that you'll be mine

In no others' arms entwine

Down beside where the waters flow

Down by the banks of Ohio

I started home 'tween twelve and one

I cried, "My God, what have I done?

I've killed the only woman I loved,

Because she would not be my bride,"

And only say that you'll be mine

In no others' arms entwine

Down beside where the waters flow

Down by the banks of Ohio