1. |
ROUD 9: The Cruel Mother
00:34
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Dm C
There was a lady that lived in York
Dm
All alone and aloney
Dm F C
She proved a child by her own father’s clerk
Am Dm
Down by a greenwood sidey
She leaned her back against the oak, All alone, etc.
She thought three times that her back would be broke, Down by, etc.
She leaned her head against a thorn
There her three fine sons they were born
She pulled out her long penknife
And there she took away their three lives
Years went by and one summer’s morn
She saw three boys, they were playing bat and ball
Oh my fine boys if you were mine
Sure I’d dress you up in silk so fine.
Oh mother dear when we were yours
You did not dress us in silk so fine.
You pulled out your long penknife
And there you took away our three lives.
Oh my fine boys what will become of me
You’ll be seven long years a bird in a tree.
You’ll be seven years more a tongue in a bell
And you’ll be seven long years a porter in hell.
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2. |
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D
There was a shepherd and he did keep sheep upon the hill
G Em A
And he would go each May morning all for to drink his fill.
D
And it’s blow the windy morning. Blow the winds high-o.
G Em A D
Clear away the morning dew, and sweet the winds shall blow.
So he walked out upon one day, and leant upon his crook
And there he spied a pretty maid a washing at the brook.
And it’s blow the windy morning. Blow the winds high-o.
Clear away the morning dew, and sweet the winds shall blow.
And then they went along the road ‘til they came into the inn.
And ready was the waiting maid to let the lady in.
And it’s blow the windy morning. Blow the winds high-o.
Clear away the morning dew, and sweet the winds shall blow.
So she jumped off her milk white steed, and stepped into the inn,
Crying you were just a rake without, and I’m a maid within
And it’s blow the windy morning. Blow the winds high-o.
Clear away the morning dew, and sweet the winds shall blow.
You may pull off your shoes and hose and let your feet go bare.
But if you meet a pretty girl, you touch her if you dare
And it’s blow the windy morning. Blow the winds high-o.
Clear away the morning dew, and sweet the winds shall blow.
I won’t pull off my shoes or hoes, or let my feet go bare
and if I meet with you again, be hanged if I despair
And it’s blow the windy morning. Blow the winds high-o.
Clear away the morning dew, and sweet the winds shall blow.
Blow the windy morning. Blow the winds high-o.
Clear away the morning dew, and sweet the winds shall blow.
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3. |
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Dm F
Were you ever down at the tri‐coloured house,
C
where every rose grows merry and fine
Dm
It’s there you will meet with a neat bonnie lass,
F Am C Dm
will you tell her she’ll be a true love of mine
Will you tell her to make me a fine new shirt, where every...
Without any seams nor needlework, and its then she will be...
Oh and tell her to wash it in yon spring well...
Where water never sprung nor never fell...
And tell her to hang it on yon whitethorn...
Where there ne’er grew a thorn since Adam was born...
Will you tell her to iron it all with a millstone...
And when she has it done for to send it right home...
Where you ever down at the tricoloured house...
It’s there you will meet with a neat bonny lad,
Will you tell him he’ll be a true love of mine
Will you tell him to farm an acre of land...
Between the salt water and the sea sand...
Oh and tell him to plough it all with a deer’s horn...
And tell him to sew it with one grain of corn...
Will you tell him to thrash it on that castle wall...
And to let neither chaff nor corn fall...
Were you ever down at the tri‐coloured house...
It’s there you will meet with a neat bonnie lass...
will you tell her she’ll be a true love of mine
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4. |
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G C D
Oh, there was a little frog who lived in a well
G D
Ding dang dong go the wedding bells.
G C D
And a pretty little mouse lived under a mill
G D G
Ding dang dong go the wedding bells.
[CHORUS]
G
Well here’s to Cheshire, here’s to cheese.
C D
Here’s to the pears and the apple trees,
G C D
And here’s to the lovely strawberries.
G D G
Ding dang dong go the wedding bells.
Well froggy went a courting and he did ride...
Now Miss Mouse, you must decide...
I’ll have to ask my Uncle Rat...
And see what he does say to that...
Uncle Rat says, “I’m much afraid...
If you don’t marry froggy you’ll die an old maid....”
Well the knot was tied secure and fast...
She’s off her uncle’s hands at last....
Open the oysters, spill the champagne...
Never will there be such a feast again....
As they were going it hot and strong...
The good grey cat came prowling along...
Uncle Rat like a hero stood...
Puss wet her whiskers in his blood...
Miss Mousie made a dive for a crack
Puss made a pounce and broke her back.
Where was the valiant frog the while
He just about broke the four-minute mile.
Well this is the end of him and her
There won’t be no tadpoles covered in fur.
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5. |
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D Bm D A
A maid went a-walking by the prison door,
D A
O but her love it was easy won
Bm A D A
And she spied a prisoner all a-standing there
D G A D
A-wishing he was in fair Scotland.
Itʼs, “Oh but fair maid would you pity me?”
O but her love it was easy won
“Would you steal the key and let me go free?
And Iʼll make you my lady in fair Scotland.”
She went unto her fatherʼs stable,
O but her love it was easy won
And sheʼs stolen the steed that was both quick and able,
To carry them on to fair Scotland.
And when they came into a moss,
O but her love it was easy won
Heʼs bade her get aff her fatherʼs best horse,
And return again to Northumberland.
And when she came to her fatherʼs hall,
O but her love it was easy won
She stole her way in amongst of them all,
Although sheʼs the flower of Northumberland.
Then up spoke her father and he did speak bold,
O but her love it was easy won
“How could you do so at fifteen years old
And you the flower of Northumberland.”
Then up spoke her mother she spoke with a smile,
O but her love it was easy won
“Oh youʼre not the first one that he has beguiled,
And youʼre welcome back home to Northumberland.”
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6. |
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G C G
There were three sisters lived in a hall
C D
Oh the rose an the lily o
G Am C G
And it’s down came a knight and he courted them all
G Am C G
And oh the rose is the redder o
The first one she was dressed in red, Oh the rose etc.
An the second one was dressed in green, And oh the rose is etc.
The third one she was dressed in white
“Would you come with me and be my bride?”
“You must ask my father the king
And you must ask my mother the queen”
“And you must ask my sister Anne
And don’t forget my brother John”
He asked mother sister father and all
But he forgot her brother John
Her father he led her thro the hall
And her mother she danced before them all
Her sister Anne led her through the close
And her brother John helped her on her horse
Then he’s taken his sharp penknife
And there he’s taken her of her life
And as we came by St Evron’s close
Our bonnie bride she fell aff her horse
“And it’s what will you leave to your father the king?”
“The bonnie steed that I ride on”
“And what will you leave to your mother the queen?”
“The bloody robes that I lie in”
“And what will you leave to your sister Anne?”
“My good lord to be her man”
“And what will you leave to your brother John?”
“The rope and the halter to hang him on”
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7. |
ROUD 29: Bold Sir Rylas
00:25
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Am
Sir Robert Bolton had three sons,
F Am
Wind well the horn good hunter
F C
Sir Rylas was the eldest one.
Em Am
And he was a jovial hunter
He ranged all round down by the wood, Wind well etc...
Till a maiden in a tree he spy’d, And he was etc...
He said ‘Fair maid what brings you here?’
‘It is the wild boar that drove me here’
Well, he’s put his horn up to his mouth,
And he’s blown it north, east, west and south.
The wild boar heard him in his den;
And he made the best of speed to him.
He’s wetted his tusks to make them strong,
He thrashed down trees as he charged along.
They fought five hours all through the day,
Till the wild boar would have run away.
Sir Rylas drew his sword with might,
He’s fairly cut his head off straight.
There came a wild woman from the wood:
Saying ‘You have killed my pretty little pig!
Then at him did this wild woman go,
And he clove her all from head to toe.
In Bromsgrove church they both are lain;
And the wild boar’s head is drawn on stone.
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8. |
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C G C
‘O Willie, Willie, what makes you so sad?’
C F C G
As the sun shines over the valley
Am F C G
‘I have loved a lady these seven years and more.’
C G C
Among the blue flowers and the yellow
‘O Willie, lie down as though you were dead, And the sun...
And lay a white sheet all over your head. Among the...
‘And give to the bellman his belling-groat,
To ring the death-bell at thy love’s bower-gate.’
He laid him down as he were dead,
And he drew the white sheet all over his head.
He gave to the bellman his belling-groat,
To ring the dead-bell at his love’s bower-gate.
When that she came to her true lover’s gate,
She dealt the red gold and all for his sake.
And when that she came to her true lover’s bower,
She had not been there for the space of half an hour,
Till that she came to her true lover’s bed,
And she lifted the white sheet to look at the dead.
He took her by the hand so meek and so small,
And he cast her over between him and the wall.
‘Tho all your friends were in the bower,
I would not let you go for the space of half an hour.
‘You came to me without either horse or boy,
But I will send you home with a merry convoy.’
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9. |
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Em Am Em
The trees they do grow high and the leaves they do grow green,
G D Em
The day is past and gone, that you and I have seen.
Em Am Em Bm
It’s a cold winter’s night, my love, when I must lie alone.
G Am Em
The bonny boy is young but he’s growing.
G D Em Am Em
Growing, growing, my bonny boy is young but he’s growing
“Oh father, dearest father, you’ve done to me great wrong,
You married me a boy and I fear he is too young.”
For he is only sixteen years and I am twenty one
The boy he is too young and still growing / Growing etc..
“We’ll send him off to college, for another year or two,
And then perhaps in time, my love, he will do for you
I’ll buy a bunch of white ribbons to tie about his waist
To let the ladies know that he’s married.” / Married etc...
Now as I was a-walking all by the college wall
I saw four and twenty college boys a-playing ball
And there I spied my own true love, he’s the fairest of them all
And I said he was a long time a-growing. / Growing etc..
At the age of sixteen, oh, he was a married man,
And at the age of seventeen she brought to him a son.
At the age of eighteen, green grass grew over him
Sudden death had put to an end to his growing. / Growing etc..
She made her love a shroud of the holland oh so fine
And every stitch she put in it, the tears come trinkling down.
Crying once I had a sweetheart but now I have got none,
So fare you well my love, you were growing. / Growing etc..
Now he’s dead and buried and in the churchyard laid
The green grass is all over him so very, very thick
Oh once I had a sweetheart but now I have got none,
But I’ll watch over his son while he’s growing. / Growing etc..
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10. |
ROUD 44: Fair Janet
00:49
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D G
Janet dearest daughter you must marry a French lord
D G
I know you love sweet William but that we can’t afford
D G
Father dearest father your wish shall never be
D G A G
Oh I’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
She ran into her chamber where William waited on the bed
She said we must away tonight, my father wants me wed
I won’t know another love like the love I have for thee
Oh I’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
He mounted her upon a steed,He chose a steed o gray;
He had her on to gude greenwood Before that it was day.
Then they stopped to take a rest beneath the greenwood tree;
Oh I’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
Oh William there’s a pain, a pain so sharp inside
William, leave me here to rest, come back in just a while
He did and found his lady lighter, With his young son on her knee.
Oh I’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
Oh Willie take our child to live with your dear mother
For I cannot care for him, the pain has drawn me under
Take me home and lie me in my bower quietly
Oh I’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
Her father came into her bower and cast his eyes around
You must away to your wedding for your lord awaits your hand
Prepare the bride and place her up upon my finest steed
Oh I’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
When she came into the hall, They gave her a broach and ring,
And when she came to meet her lord, They had a fair wedding.
When dinner it was past and done, And dancing started free,
Oh I’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
She had nae turned her throw the dance, Throw the dance but thrice,
When she fell doun at William’s feet, And up did never rise.
She took her bracelet from her arm, to give to her baby
Oh I’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
William took his coffer key, And gave it to his man:
‘Gae hame, and tell my mother dear, My horse he has me slain;
I’ll lay here with my sweet bride unto eternity
So she’ll never leave sweet William and sail across the sea
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Karl Sinfield High Peak District, UK
graphic designer and traditional-folk-adjacent musician/writer
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