Steeleye Span Album

One morning in the month of May,
As from my cot' I strayed,
Just at the dawning of the day
I met with a charming maid.
Just at the dawning of the day
I met with a charming maid.

"Good morning to you, wither?" said I,
"Good morning to you now,"
The maid replied, "kind sir" she cried,
"I've lost my spotted cow."
The maid replied, "kind sir" she cried,
"I've lost my spotted cow."

"No longer weep, no longer mourn,
Your cow's not lost my dear,
I saw her down in yonder grove,
Come love and I'll show you where."
I saw her down in yonder grove,
Come love and I'll show you where."


"I must confess you're very kind,
I thank you sir," said she,
"We will be sure her there to find,
Come sweetheart go with me."
"We will be sure her there to find,
Come sweetheart go with me."


And in the grove they spent the day,
They thought it passed to soon,
At night they homeward bent their way,
While brightly shone the moon.
At night they homeward bent their way,
While brightly shone the moon.


If he should cross the flowery dale,
Or go to view the plough,
She comes and calls, "You gentle swain,
I've lost my spotted cow."
She comes and calls, "You gentle swain,
I've lost my spotted cow."

It's a rosebud in June and the violets in full bloom,
And the small birds are singing love songs on each spray.

Chorus
We'll pipe and we'll sing love,
We'll dance in a ring love,
When each lad takes his lass
All on the green grass,
And it's oh to plough where the fat oxen graze low
And the lads and the lasses do sheep shearing go.

When we have all sheared our jolly, jolly sheep,
What joy can be greater than to talk of their increase.

Chorus

For their flesh it is good, it's the best of all food,
And their wool it will cloth us and keep our backs from the cold.

Chorus

Here's the ewes and the lambs, here's the hogs and the rams,
And the fat wethers too they will make a fine show.

Chorus

[No lyrics]

Here's my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I give it to you,
Here's my bag and my budget,
I bid it adieu,
Here's my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I leave them behind,
Fine laurel, fine floral,
You've proved all unkind.

Here's my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I give it to you,
Here's my bag and my budget,
I bid it adieu,
Here's my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I leave them behind,
Fine laurel, fine floral,
You've proved all unkind.

All to my dear Dinah these words I did say,
Tomorrow we'll be married love, tomorrow is the day,
'Tis too soon dear Willy my age is too young,
One day to our wedding is one day too soon.

I'll go into service if the day ain't too late,
To wait on a fine lady it is my intent,
And when into service a your or two bound,
It's then we'll get married and both settle down.

A little time after a letter was wrote,
For to see if my dear Dinah had changed her mind,
But she wrote that she'd lived such a contrary life,
She said that she'd never be a young shepherd's wife

Here's my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I give it to you,
Here's my bag and my budget,
I bid it adieu,
Here's my sheep-crook and my black dog,
I leave them behind,
Fine laurel, fine floral,
You've proved all unkind.

I am a forester of this land
As you may plainly see,
It's the mantle of your maidenhead
That I would have from thee.

After each verse:
with me roo-run-rority ri-run-rority ri-no-ority-an.

He's taken her by the milk-white hand,
And by the leylan sleeve,
He's lain her down upon her back
And asked no man's leave.

Now since you've lain me down young man
You must take me up again,
And since you've had your will on me,
Come tell to me your name.

Some call me Jim, some call me John,
Begad it's all the same,
But when I'm in the king's hight court
Erwilian is my name.

She being a good scholar
She's spelt it over again,
Erwilian, that's a Latin word,
But Willy is your name.

Now when he heard his name pronounced,
He mounted his high horse,
She's belted up her petticoat
And followed with all her force.

He rode and she ran
A long summer day,
Until they came by the river
That's commonly called the Tay.

The water it's too deep my love,
I'm afraid you cannot wade,
But afore he'd ridden his horse well in
She was on the other side.

She went up to the king's high door,
She knocked and she went in,
Said one of your chancellor's robbed me,
And he's robbed me right and clean.

Has he robbed you of your mantle,
Has he robbed you of your ring,
No he's robbed me of my maidenhead
And another I can't find.

If he be a married man
Then hanged he shall be,
And if he be a single man
He shall marry thee.

This couple they got married,
They live in Huntley town,
She's the Earl of Airlie's daughter,
And he's the blacksmith's son.

Let never a man a wooing wend
That lacketh thinges three
A store of gold, an oaken heart,
And full of charity

And this was seen of King Henry
And he likewise alone
For he's taken him to a haunted hall
Seven miles from the town

He's chased the deer, now him before
And the doe down by the den
Till the fattest buck in the all the flock
King Henry he has slain

His huntsmen followed him to the hall
To make them burly cheer
When loud the wind was heard to sound
And an earthquake rocked the floor

And darkness covered all the hall
Where they sat at their meat
The grey dogs, yowling, left their food
And crept to Henry's feet

And louder howled the rising wind
And burst the fastened door
And in there came a grisley ghost
Stamping on the floor

Her head hit the roof tree of the house
Her middle you could not span
Each frightened huntsman fled the hall
And left the King alone

Her teeth were like the tether stakes
Her nose like club or mell
And nothing less she seemed to be
Than a fiend that comes from Hell

Some meat, some meat
Yo King Henry some meat you give to me
Go kill your horse, you King Henry,
And bring him here to me

He's gone and slain his berry brown steed
Though it made his heart full sore
For she's eaten up, both flesh and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair

More meat, more meat
Yo King Henry more meat you give to me
Go kill your greyhounds King Henry,
And bring them here to me

And when he's slain his good greyhound
It made his heart full sore
For she's eaten up, both flesh and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair

More meat, more meat
Yo King Henry more meat you give to me
Go fell your gosshawks King Henry,
And bring them here to me

And when he's slain his gay gosshawks
It made his heart full sore
For she's eaten them up, both skin and bone
Left nothing but feathers there

Some drink, some drink
Now King Henry some drink you give to me
Oh you sew up your horse's hide
And bring in a drink to me

And he's sewn up the bloody hide
And a pipe of wine put in
And she drank it up, all in one draught
Left never a drop therein

A bed, a bed, now King Henry
A bed you'll make for me
Oh you must pull the heather green
And make it soft for me

And pulled has he the heather green
And made for her a bed
And taken has he his gay mantle
And over it he has spread

Take off your clothes now King Henry
And lie down by my side
Now swear, now swear you King Henry
To take me for your bride

Oh God forbid said Kind Henry
That ever the like betide
That ever a fiend that comes from Hell
Would stretch down by my side

BREAK

When the night was gone and the day was come
And the sun shone through the hall
The fairest lady that e'er was seen
Lay between him and the wall


I've met with many a gentle knight
That gave gave me such a fill
But never before with a courtious knight
That gave me all my will

Child #32 known prior to 1790

Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus
Ex Maria virgine: Gaudete!

Tempus adest gratiae, Hoc quod optabamus
Carmina laetitiae Devote redamus.

Deus homo factus est Natura mirante,
Mundus renovatus est A Christo regnante.

Ezecheelis porta clausa per transitur
Unde Lux est orta Salus invenitur.

Ergo nostra contio psallat iam in lustro,
Benedicat Domino salus Regi nostro.

Translation

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Christ is born of the Virgin Mary; Rejoice!

The time of grace has come for which we have prayed
Let us devoutly sing songs of joy.

God is made man, while nature wonders
The world is renewed by Christ the King.

The closed gate of Ezekiel has been passed through
From where the light has risen (the East), salvation is found.

Therefore, let our assembly sing praises now at this time of purification
Let it bless the Lord: greetings to our King.

There were three men
Came from the west
Their fortunes for to tell,
And the life of John Barleycorn
As well.

They laid him in three furrows deep,
Laid clods upon his head,
Then these three man made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn was dead.

The let him die for a very long time
Till the rain from heaven did fall,
Then little Sir John sprang up his head
And he did amaze them all.

They let him stand till the midsummer day,
Till he looked both pale and wan.
The little Sir John he grew a long beard
And so became a man.

They have hired men with the scythes so sharp,
To cut him off at the knee,
The rolled him and they tied him around the waist,
They served him barbarously.

They have hired men with the crab-tree sticks,
To cut him skin from bone,
And the miller has served him worse than that,
For he's ground him between two stones.

They've wheeled him here, they've wheeled him there,
They've wheeled him to a barn,
And thy have served him worse than that,
They've bunged him in a vat.

They have worked their will on John Barleycorn
But he lived to tell the tale,
For they pour him out of an old brown jug
And they call him home brewed ale.

Come my own one, come my fair one,
Come now unto me,
Could you fancy a poor sailor lad
Who has just come from sea.

You are ragged love, you are dirty love,
And your clothes smell much of tar,
So be gone you saucy sailor lad,
So be gone you Jack Tar.

If I am ragged love and I am dirty love,
And my clothes smell much of tar,
I have silver in my pocket love
And gold in great store.

And then when she heard him say so
On her bended knees she fell,
I will marry my dear Henry
For I love a sailor lad so well.

Do you think that I am foolish love,
Do you think that I am mad,
For to wed with a poor country girl
Where no fortune's to be had.

I will cross the briny ocean,
I will whistle and sing,
And since you have refused the offer love
Some other girl shall wear the ring.

I am frolicsome, I am easy,
Good tempered and free,
And I don't give a single pin my boys
What the world thinks of me.