| Songbook 1 |
A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the year,
Lord Arnold's wife came to the church, the gospel she did hear,
and when the meeting, it adjourned, she cast her eyes about,
and there she spied young Matty Groves, awalkin' through the crowd.
"Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight,
Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me 'till light"
"Oh I won't come home, I can't come home, asleepin with you tonight,
for by the rings on your fingers I can see that you are my master's wife."
"And what if I am Lord Arnold's wife, he is not at home,
He is out in the far country, and we shall be alone."
A servant who was standing by, and hearing what was said,
Swore that Arnold, he would know, before the sun did set.
And in her hurry to carry the news, she bent her breast and she ran,
And when she came to the broad mill stream, she took off her shoes and she swam.
Matty, he laid down, and took a little sleep,
And when he awoke, Lord Arnold was standing at his feet.
Saying, "How do you like my feather bed? How do you like my sheets?
How do you like my Lady wife, who lies in your arms, asleep?"
"Oh, well I like your feather bed, and better I like your sheets,
and best of all I like your Lady wife, who lies in my arms, asleep."
"GET UP, GET UP," Lord Arnold cried, "Get up as quick as you can!
For it'll never be said in fair England that I slew a naked man."
"Oh, I wont get up, I can't get up, I wouldn't get up for my life
for you have two, long beaten swords, and I not a pocket knife."
"It's true I have two beaten swords, and they cost me deep in the purse,
but you shall have the better of them, and I shall have the worse.
And you shall strike the very first blow, and strike it like a man!
I will strike you next of all, and I'll kill you if I can."
Matty struck a very fine blow, and hurt Lord Arnold's sword,
Lord Arnold struck a mightier blow, and Matty struck the floor.
Then he took his own dear wife, and set her upon his knee,
Saying, "Who do you like the best of us now, your dead Matty Groves, or Me?"
Up then spoke his own dear wife, he'd never heard he speak so free:
"I'd rather one kiss from dead Matty's lips, than all of your finery."
Then up jumped Lord Arnold, and lowely did he fall,
For he struck his wife right through the heart, and pinned her against the wall.
"A grave, a grave," Lord Arnold cried, "To put these lovers in,
but put my Lady on the top, for she was of noble kin."
O bonny Portmore, I am sorry to see,
such a woeful destruction of your ornament tree
for it stood on your shore for many's the long day
'till the long boats from Antrim came to float it away.
O bonny Portmore you shine where you stand
and the more I think on you the more I think long
if I had you now as I had once before
all the lords in old England would not purchase Portmore
All the birds in teh forest they bitterly weep
saying "Where shall we shelter or where shall we sleep?"
for the Oak and the Ash they are all cutten down
and the walls of bonny Portmore are all down to the ground.
O bonny Portmore you shine where you stand
and the more I think on you the more I think long
if I had you now as I had once before
all the lords in old England would not purchase Portmore.
Oh the summer time is commin
and the trees are sweetly bloomin
and the wild mountain thyme
grows among the bloomin heather
Will ye go, lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
to pluck wild mountain thyme
all along the bloomin heather
will ye go, lassie, go?
I will build my love a bower
near yon clear crystal fountain
and on it I will pile
all the flowers of the mountain
Will ye go, lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
to pluck wild mountain thyme
all along the bloomin heather
will ye go, lassie, go?
If my true love she should leave
I will surely find another
where the wild mountain thyme
grows among the bloomin heather
Will ye go, lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
to pluck wild mountain thyme
all along the bloomin heather
will ye go, lassie, go?
'Twas on one summer's evening, all in the month of May
down by a flowery garden, I carelessly did stray
I overheard a young maid, in sorrow to complain
all for her handsome sailor boy, who ploughed the raging main
I boldly stepped up to her, and put her in surprise
I'll vow she did not know me, my being all in disguise
says I "me charming creature, my joy and heart's delight
how far have you to travel, this dark and stormy night?"
"My way, kind sir, to the claudy banks if you will please to show
pity a poor girl distracted, for there I have to go
I am in search of a young man, and Johnny is his name
all on the banks of claudy I'm told he does remain."
"Tis six long months and better, since your true love left this shore
in crossing the wild ocean where wild monsters roar
in crossing the wild ocean in honour and in gain
I'm told his ship was wrecked all on the coast of Spain."
On hearing of this dreadful news it put her in despair
with a wringing of her hands and a tearing of her hair
"Oh since he's gone and left me, no other man I'll take
all on the banks of claudy I'll wander for his sake."
Oh my heart was filled with joy that night, I could no longer stand
I fell into her arms crying "Betsy, I'm that man
I am your faithful young man whom once you thought was slain
now since we've met on claudy banks, we'll ne'er part again."
Alas my love, you do me wrong
to cast me off discourteously
when I have loved you for so long
delighting in thy company
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves my heart of gold
Greensleeves was my heart of joy
and who but my lady Greensleeves?
I have been ready at thy hand
to grant whatever thou would'st crave
I have waged both life and land
your love and goodwill for to have
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves my heart of gold
Greensleeves was my heart of joy
and who but my lady Greensleeves?
Thy petticoat of Sendle white
with gold embroidered gorgeously
thy petticoat of silken white
and these I bought thee gladly
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves my heart of gold
Greensleeves was my heart of joy
and who but my lady Greensleeves?