Melungeon Music
Mountain Music Lyrics

HOME
Links and plenty of 'Em
Lyrics
Credits & Thank yous
Melungeon Musicians
Music from the Hills and Hollows
Ancestral Music
Instruments

Lyrics of the old songs.

Fair Margaret and Sweet William
 
Child ballad # 74, Fair Margaret and Sweet William, is a rather macabre tale of love, jealousy, death, and the supernatural, that is widely dispersed in America.
Charles Frazier' s novel Cold Mountain (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1977) is filled with musical references that create an historical context for the Civil War setting. Pages 253-254 contain a moving rendering of Sara's singing of this ballad. Subsequently Dirk Powell, Tim O'brien, and John Hermann recorded a CD, Songs from the Mountain (Howdy Skies record HS 1001) that is based on the novel. In this version Tim O'Brien sings Fair Margaret in the traditional unaccompanied style.
 
Fair Margaret and Sweet William
 
Lady Margaret was standing in her own room door,
A-combing her long yellow hair.
When who did she spy but Sweet William and his bride,
As to the church yard they drew near.
 
The day passed away and night comin' on,
And most of the men were asleep.
Lady Margaret appeared all dressed in white,
And standing at his bed feet.
 
She said "How do you like your bed?
And how do you like your sheet?
And how do you like your fair young bride
That's lying in your arms asleep."
 
He said "Very well do I like my bed,
Much better do I like my sheet.
But best of all that fair young girl,
That's standing at my bed feet."
 
Then, once he kissed her lily white hand,
Twice he kissed her cheek.
Three times he kissed her cold frosty lips,
And fell into her arms asleep.
 
Well, the night passed away, the day came on,
And into the morning light.
Sweet William said I'm troubled in my head,
By the dream that I dreamed last night.
 
Such dreams, such dreams as these,
I know they mean no good.
For I dreamed that my bower was full of red swine,
And my bride's bed full of blood.
 
He asked Is Lady Margaret in her room,
Or is she out in the hall.
But Lady Margaret lay in a cold black coffin,
With her faced turned to the wall.
 
Barbara Allen

 

In Scarlet town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwellin'
Made every youth cry Well-a-day,
Her name was Barb'ra Allen.

All in the merry month of May,
When green buds they were swellin'
Young Willie Grove on his death-bed lay,
For love of Barb'ra Allen.

He sent his servant to her door
To the town where he was dwellin'
Haste ye come, to my master's call,
If your name be be Barb'ra Allen.

So slowly, slowly got she up,
And slowly she drew nigh him,
And all she said when there she came:
"Young man, I think you're dying!"

He turned his face unto the wall
And death was drawing nigh him.
Good bye, Good bye to dear friends all,
Be kind to Bar'bra Allen

When he was dead and laid in grave,
She heard the death bell knelling.
And every note, did seem to say
Oh, cruel Barb'ra Allen

"Oh mother, mother, make my bed
Make it soft and narrow
Sweet William died, for love of me,
And I shall of sorrow."

They buried her in the old churchyard
Sweet William's grave was neigh hers
And from his grave grew a red, red rose
From hers a cruel briar.

They grew and grew up the old church spire
Until they could grow no higher
And there they twined, in a true love knot,
The red, red rose and the briar.


<STRONG>In Scarlet town where I was born,
There was a fair maid dwellin'
Made every youth cry Well-a-day,
Her name was Barb'ra Allen.

All in the merry month of May,
When green buds they were swellin'
Young Willie Grove on his death-bed lay,
For love of Barb'ra Allen.

He sent his servant to her door
To the town where he was dwellin'
Haste ye come, to my master's call,
If your name be be Barb'ra Allen.

So slowly, slowly got she up,
And slowly she drew nigh him,
And all she said when there she came:
"Young man, I think you're dying!"

He turned his face unto the wall
And death was drawing nigh him.
Good bye, Good bye to dear friends all,
Be kind to Bar'bra Allen

When he was dead and laid in grave,
She heard the death bell knelling.
And every note, did seem to say
Oh, cruel Barb'ra Allen

"Oh mother, mother, make my bed
Make it soft and narrow
Sweet William died, for love of me,
And I shall of sorrow."

They buried her in the old churchyard
Sweet William's grave was neigh hers
And from his grave grew a red, red rose
From hers a cruel briar.

They grew and grew up the old church spire
Until they could grow no higher
And there they twined, in a true love knot,
The red, red rose and the briar.

Lyrics
My Johnny was a shoemaker and dearly he loved me
My Johnny was a shoemaker but now he's gone to sea
With pitch and tar to soil his hands
And to sail across the sea, stormy sea
And sail across the stormy sea

His jacket was a deep sky blue and curly was his hair
His jacket was a deep sky blue, it was, I do declare
For to reive the topsails up against the mast
And to sail across the sea, stormy sea
And sail across the stormy sea

Some day he'll be a captain bold with a brave and a gallant crew
Some day he'll be a captain bold with a sword and spy-glass too
And when he has a gallant captain's sword
He'll come home and marry me, marry me
He'll come home and marry me

 

 

Pretty Polly
Polly, pretty Polly, come go along with me
Polly, pretty Polly, come go along with me
Before we get married some pleasure to see
She got up behind him and away they did go
She got up behind him and away they did go
Over the hills to the valley so low
They went up a little farther and what did they spy?
They went up a little farther and what did they spy?
A newly dug grave with a spade lying by
He stabbed her through the heart
Her heart's blood it did flow
He stabbed her through the heart
Her heart's blood it did flow
And into the grave pretty Polly did go
He threw something over her and turned to go home
He threw something over her and turned to go home
With nothing behind him but the girl there to mourn
Little Birdy
Little birdy, little birdy
What makes you fly so high?
It's because I am a birdy
And I'm not afraid to die
Little birdy, little birdy
Come sing me your song
I've a short time to be here with you
And a long time, to be gone
Little birdy, little birdy
What makes your wing so blue?
It's because I've been a-grievin'
Grievin' after you
Little birdy, little birdy
Come sing me your song
I've a short time to be here with you
And a long time, to be gone
Little birdy, little birdy
What makes your head so red?
After all that I have been through
It's a wonder I ain't dead
Little birdy, little birdy
Come sing me your song
I've a short time to be here with you
And a long time, to be gone
===================
Tom Dooley (probably the most famous)
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, youre bound to die
I met her on the mountain, there I took her life
Met her on the mountain, stabbed her with my knife
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry (ah-uh-eye)
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, youre bound to die
This time tomorrow,
reckon where Ill be
Hadnt-a been for Grayson,
Id-a been in Tennessee (well now, boy)
Hang down (your head) your head (Dooley) and cry
Hang down your head and cry (ah poor boy, ah well-ah)
Hang down (your head) your head (Dooley) and cry
Poor boy, youre bound to die (ah well now boy)
Hang down (your head) your head (Dooley) and cry
Hang down your head and cry (ah poor boy, ah well-ah)
Hang down (your head) your head (Dooley) and cry
Poor boy, youre bound to die
This time tomorrow,
reckon where Ill be
Down in some lonesome valley
hangin from a white oak tree
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry (ah-uh-eye)
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, youre bound to die (ah well now boy)
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry (poor boy ah well uh)
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, youre bound to die
Poor boy, youre bound to die
Poor boy, youre bound to die
Poor boy, youre bound to .......die
=====================
House Carpenter
Well met, well met,
   my own true love
Well met, well met, cried he
I've just returned from the
   salt, salt sea
And it's all for the love of thee
O I could have married the
   king's daughter dear
And she would have married me
But I have refused the
   crown of gold
And it's all for the sake of thee
If you could have married the king's
   daughter dear
I'm sure you are to blame
For I am married to the
   house carpenter
And he is a fine young man
If you'll forsake your
   house carpenter
And come away with me
I'll take you to where the
   grass grows green
On the banks of the sweet Willie
If I forsake my house carpenter
And come away with thee
What have you got to maintain
   me upon
And keep me from slavery

I've six ships sailing on the
   salt, salt sea
A-sailing from dry land
And a hundred and twenty
   jolly young men
Shall be at thy command
She picked up her poor wee babe
And kisses gave him three
Saying stay right here with the
   house carpenter
And keep him good company

They had not been at sea
   two weeks
I'm sure it was not three
When this poor maid began to weep
And she wept most bitterly

O do you weep for your gold,
   he said
Your houses, your land, or
   your store?
Or do you weep for your
   house carpenter
That you never shall see anymore
I do not weep for my gold,
   she said
My houses, my land or my store
But I do weep for my
   poor wee babe
That I never shall see anymore
They had not been at sea
   three weeks
I'm sure it was not four
When in their ship there
   sprang a leak
And she sank to rise no more

What hills, what hills are those,
   my love
That are so bright and free
Those are the hill of Heaven,
   my love
But not for you and me
What hills, what hills, are those,
   my love
That are so dark and low
Those are the hills of Hell,
   my love
Where you and I must go
==============================
Fair and Tender Ladies
 
Come all ye fair and tender ladies
Take warning how you court your men
They're like a star on a summer morning
They first appear and then they're gone
They'll tell to you some loving story
And they'll make you think that they love you well
And away they'll go and court some other
And leave you there in grief to dwell
I wish I was on some tall mountain
Where the ivy rocks were black as ink
I'd write a letter to my false true lover
Whose cheeks are like the morning pink
I wish I was a little sparrow
And I had wings to fly so high
I'd fly to the arms of my false true lover
And when he'd ask, I would deny
Oh love is handsome, love is charming
And love is pretty while it's new
But love grows cold as love grows older
And fades away like morning dew

=============================
Mary of the Wild Moor
'Twas one cold winter's night when the wind
It blew bitter across the wild moor,
When poor Mary she came with her child,
Wandering home to her own father's door.
She cried, 'Father! oh pray let me in!
Do come down and open your door,
Or the child at my bosom will die
With the wind that blows 'cross the wild moor.'
'Why did I e'er leave this fair cot,
Where once I was happy and free;
Doom'd now to roam, without friend or home,
Oh! dear father, take pity on me.'
But her father was deaf to her cries,
Not a voice, not a sound reached the door
But the watch dog's bold bark and the wind
That blew loudly across the wild moor.
But now think what the father he felt
When he came to the door in the morn
And found Mary, the child still alive,
Fondly clasped in its dead mother's arms.
Wild and frantic he tore his grey hairs,
As on Mary he gazed at the door.
Who in the cold night had perished and died
With the wind that blew 'cross the wild moor.
Now the father in grief passed away,
The poor child to its mother went soon.
And no one has lived there till this day,
And the cottage to ruin has gone.
And the villagers point out this cot,
Where the willow droops over the door, -
There Mary died, once our village pride,
while the wind blew across the wild moor.
=========================
WIND AND RAIN
OH THE WIND AND RAIN
There were two sisters of County Claire
Oh the wind and the rain
One was dark and the other was fair
Oh the dreadful wind and rain
And they both had the love of the miller's son
Oh the wind and the rain
But he was fond of the fairer one
Oh the dreadful wind and rain
So she pushed her into the river to drown
Oh the wind and the rain
And watched her as she floated down
Oh the dreadful wind and rain
She floated until she came to the miller's pond
Oh the wind and the rain
Dead on the water like a golden swan
Oh the dreadful wind and rain
And she came to rest on the riverside
Oh the wind and the rain
And her bones were washed by the rolling tide
Oh the dreadful wind and rain
And along the road came a fiddler fair
Oh the wind and the rain
And found her bones just a lying there
Cried oh the dreadful wind and rain
So he made a fiddle peg of her long finger bone
Oh the wind and the rain
He made a fiddle peg of her long finger bone
Cried oh the dreadful wind and rain
And he strung his fiddle bow with long yellow hair
Oh the wind and the rain
He strung his fiddle bow with her long yellow hair
Cried oh the dreadful wind and rain
And he made a fiddle fiddle of her breast bone
On the wind and the rain
He made a fiddle fiddle of her breast bone
Cried oh the dreadful wind and rain
But the only tune that the fiddle would play was
Oh the wind and the rain
The only tune that the fiddle would play was
Oh the dreadful wind and rain