GILES: Spike, what do you remember about the song?
SPIKE: Oh, yeah, the song. It’s called Early One Morning. Old folk ditty.
WOOD: What’s it mean to you?
SPIKE: Mean? Nothing. It’s just… my mum. It was her favorite. She used to sing it to me when I was a baby.
(...)
GILES: Spike, listen to me. What is it about your mother?
SPIKE: I don’t know. I got along fine with her. She was a nice lady.
GILES: Well there has to be more than that.
SPIKE: (yells) Well, there bloody well isn’t!

Lies My Parents Told Me (S7,Ep17)

SPIKE: (speaking to Wood) Tell you a story. 'Bout a mother and a son. Like you, I loved my mum. So much so, I turned her into a vampire so we could be together forever. (beat) She said some nasty bits to me after I did that. Been weighing on me for quite some time...
He paces, thinking it through.
... But you helped me figure something out. You see, unlike you, I had a mother who loved me back. When I sired her, I set loose a demon and it tore into me... but that was the demon talking, not her. I realize that now. (pause) My mum loved me with all her heart. I was her world.
That’s a nice little song you got there. Thanks, doc. You cured me after all. I got my own free will now. I’m not under The First’s or anyone else’s influences now. I just wanted you to know that…

Lies My Parents Told Me (S7,Ep17) (Full Scene)

We find out that this is the song that William's mother use to sing to him before he was turned and became a vampire, Spike. In Lies My Parents Told Me (S7,Ep17) Anne sings the first stanza of Early One Morning, listed above in bold.

The First Evil (TFE) has been using it to trigger Spike and control his actions. We learn in Episode 17 that while Spike was under the control of TFE he killed and turned many people before Buffy stopped him and started to help him find out what was happening.

Thanks to Principal Wood's personal hatred of Spike due to him having killing his mother, Nikki a Slayer in 1977, Spike has delt with his feelings for what happened with his mother and the trigger no longer works.

Early one morning, just as the sun was rising,
I heard a maid sing in the valley below.
"Oh, don't deceive me, oh, never leave me,
How could you use a poor maiden so?"

"O gay is the garland, fresh are the roses
I've culled from the garden to bind on thy brow.
O don't deceive me,
O do not leave me!
How could you use a poor maiden so?

Remember the vows that you made to your Mary,
Remember the bow'r where you vowed to be true.
"Oh, don't deceive me, oh, never leave me.
How could you use a poor maiden so!"

Thus sung the poor maiden, her sorrow bewailing,
Thus sung the poor maid in the valley below;
"O don't deceive me!
O do not leave me!
How could you use a poor maiden so?"

Another version

Early one morning, just as the sun was rising
I heard a maid sing in the valley below
" Oh don't deceive me, Oh never leave me,
How could you use, a poor maiden so?"

Remember the vows that you made to me truly
Remember how tenderly you nestled close to me
Gay is the garland, fresh are the roses
I've culled from the garden to bind over thee.

Here I now wander alone as I wonder
Why did you leave me to sigh and complain
I ask of the roses, why should I be forsaken,
Why must I here in sorrow remain?

Through yonder grove, by the spring that is running
There you and I have so merrily played,
Kissing and courting and gently sporting
Oh, my innocent heart you've betrayed

How could you slight so a pretty girl who loves you
A pretty girl who loves you so dearly and warm?
Though love's folly is surely but a fancy,
Still it should prove to me sweeter than your scorn.

Soon you will meet with another pretty maiden
Some pretty maiden, you'll court her for a while;
Thus ever ranging, turning and changing
Always seeking for a girl that is new.

Thus sang the maiden, her sorrows bewailing
Thus sang the poor maid in the valley below
" Oh don't deceive me, Oh never leave me,
How could you use, a poor maiden so?"

Set by:
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Percy Grainger (1882-1961), Unnumbered British Folk-Music-Setting.
(a bit more info on this song)

From Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
See Bibliography for full information.

Sarah Brightman sung this tune on "The trees they grow so high" (1998)

His Majesty's 10th Regiment of Foot Website has a great section called SONGS OF EMPIRE

Pavlov's Vampire is written by Kerry at White Hats. (also read Spike aka William the Bloody). It's about the episode SLEEPER and her thoughts about Spike and his trigger. A very interesting read. Go visit her site, read the great article and listen to the midi file and a version sung by Nana Mouskouri that she managed to find.

Sleeper (S7, Ep8) through to
Lies My Parents Told Me (S7,Ep17)

SPIKE: (singing)
I plan each charted course / Each little step along the highway / And more, much more than this/ I did it my way
Lover's Walk (S3, Ep8)

You can find a sound clip at:
B'fly's BtVS Page in the Season 3 section of Sound Clips.

"Oh man, yeah. To sing Sid Vicious, man. That's the best. David Semel who directed it, he's one of the producers over on Dawson's Creek, and who is absolutely wonderful by the way. He took it in one take. When I read the script, that was my favorite part because I love Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols. And they're going to let me sing My Way. I used to sing it on the set all the time. I don't know if they heard me. The whole Sid thing was a bit of a touchstone that the character started with. Joss wanted the Sid and Nancy of the vampire set. I'm not sure if he got that [laughter]. People keep saying that he got Billy Idol, but you do your best. But I'd often be hanging around the sound stage singing My Way, so when I got that in the script, I was really happy. Then we got to film it. It was like "Take one. Ok, let's move on." I'm like, "Nooo! I want to sing this all day." JM (TEXT) 

Regrets I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
But dig, what I have to do
I'll see it through with no devotion
Of that, take care and just
Be careful along the highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

There were times,
I'm sure you knew
When there was nothing
Fucking else to do
But through it all,
When there was doubt
I shot it up or kicked it out
I fought the just as before
And did it my way

Knocked out in bed last night
I've had my fill, my share of looting
And now, the tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think, I killed a cat
And may I say, oh no, not their way
But no, no, not me
I did it my way

For what is a brat,
What has he got
When he finds out that he cannot
Say the things he truly thinks
But only the words,
Not what he feels
The record shows,
I've got no clothes
And did it my way

Lyrics by Sex Pistols (Source)

9 - Rest In Peace (sung to Buffy)

I died
So many years ago
You can make me feel
Like it isn't so
And why you come to be with me
I think I finally know
mmm-mmm

You're scared
Ashamed of what you feel
And you can't tell the ones you love
You know they couldn't deal
Whisper in a dead man's ear
It doesn't make it real
That's great

But I don't wanna play
'Cause being with you touches me
More than I can say
And since I’m only dead to you
I’m saying stay away and
Let me rest in peace

Let me rest in peace
Let me get some sleep
Let me take my love and bury it
In a hole 6-foot deep
I can lay my body down
But I can't find my, sweet release
So let me rest in peace

You know,
You got a willing slave
You just love to play the thought
That you might misbehave
Till you do,
I'm telling you
Stop visiting my grave
Let me rest in peace

I know I should go
But I follow you like a man possessed
There's a traitor here beneath my breast
And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed
If my heart could beat, it would break my chest
but I can see you're unimpressed
So leave me be and

Let me rest in peace
Let me get some sleep
Let me take my love and bury it
Im a hole 6-foot deep
I can lay my body down
But I can't find my sweet release
Let me rest in peace
Why won't you
Let me rest in peace?

(Spike's part)
The torch I bear is scorching me
Buffy's laughing, I've no doubt
I hope she fries
I'm free if that bitch dies!
I better help her out

She will never learn

And she will walk through the fire
And let it --

And we are caught in the fire
The point of no return
So we will walk through the fire
And let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn!

This is at the very end of the song.

William: Lu-mi-nous..." no, no, uh, " irra-di-ant..." better...
A BUTLER holds out a tray of hors d'oevres. William stirs from his reverie.
William: Quickly, I'm the very spirit of vexation. What's another word for "illuminate?" It's perfectly perfect as many words go but the bother is nothing rhymes, you see.
(...)
Male Partygoer (reads William's poem out load): "My heart expands 'tis grown a bulge in't inspired by your beauty effulgent."

Fool For Love (S5,Ep7)

William (reading to his mother Anne)
Yet her smell, it doth linger,
Painting pictures in my mind.
Her eyes, balls of honey.
Angel’s harps her laugh.
Oh, lark!
Grant a sign if crook’d be Cupid’s shaft.
Hark, the lark!
Her name it hath spake.
“ Cecily,” it discharges from twixt its wee beak.

Lies My Parents Told Me (S7,Ep17)

Q: How difficult was it to recite William’s poetry with conviction?
JM: [Laughs] Not that difficult because I decided they were good poems! Early on, I really got into William’s corner and I wanted to fight for him and I felt protective of him. I had this phrase going in my mind ‘Effulgent is a good word.’ But I was also struck by how hard it is to write bad poetry well. There was one point when we were waiting on a re-write from David Fury because he wanted to extend the very beginning of the poetry to include a reveal shot and it took him forever. People were like, “We have to film this! This thing is on the air in two days, David!” And he was just like “Guys it’s hard!” He’s right! (Text)