1A. The False Sir John- Lingo (IN) 1926 (Child 4)
[From: Folk Songs Mainly from West Virginia; edited by John Harrington Cox. New York: National Service Bureau, 1939; with music, pp. 1-3. Bronson 128. This is one of the few versions that names the knight as False Sir John (Child C). It is not a version of C but the name is from C. Colleen (Collin, Colinn etc) is a standard name for the girl and Barry (1909) suggests it is derived from the Irish "cailin" which is slang for girl, girlfriend or lover. At the end the parrot's name, Polly, is transferred to the girl, a common problem in this ballad.
R. Matteson 2014]
"The False Sir John"- Sung by Silas A. Lingo, Milan, Ind., August 1925. Cox, 1939, pp. 1-3.
1. He followed her up and he followed her down,
And he followed her where she lay;
And she had not the heart to say him nay,
For the morrow was their wedding day, day, day,
For the morrow was their wedding day."
2. She told him to go to her father's stables,
. . . . . .
And saddle two of her father's best horses,
Wherein stood thirty and three, three, three,
Wherein stood thirty and three.
3. She mounted, she mounted her bonny brown,
And he the dapple gray;
And away they rode to yon far waterside,
Three long hours before it was dav, day, day,
Three long hours before it was day.
4. "Light off, light off, my pretty Colleen,
Light off, light off," says he;
"For six king's daughters I've drowned here,
And the seventh that you shall be, be, be,
And the seventh that you shall be.
5. "Take off, take off your fine silk gown,
Your petticoats of the same;
For they are too rich and costly
To lie and rot in the main, main, main,
To lie and rot in the main."
6. "Oh, turn yourself all around and about,
Your face toward the sea,
For it does not become a modest man
A naked woman for to see, see, see,
A naked woman for to see."
7. He turned himself all around and about,
His face toward the sea,
And so manfully she picked him up
And plunged him into the sea, sea, sea,
And plunged him into the sea.
8. "Lie there, lie there, you false Sir John,
Lie there, instead of me;
For six king's daughters you've drowned here,
But the seventh you never shall see, see, see,
But the seventh you never shall see."
9. She mounted, she mounted her bonny brown,
And led the dapple gray,
And away she rode to her father's palace,
Two long hours before it was day, day, day,
Two long hours before it was day.
10. Then up bespoke the pretty little parrot,
Where in his cage he lay,
Saying, "Where have- you been, my pretty Colleen,
Two long hours before it is day, day, day,
Two long hours before it is day?"
11. "Hush up, hush up, my pretty little parrot,
And tell no tales on me,
And your cage shall be made of the yellow beaten gold,
And hang on a green willow tree, tree, tree,
And hang on a green willow tree."
12. Then up bespoke the aged old king,
Wherein his chamber he lay,
Saying, "What is the matter with my pretty little parrot,
That he chatters so long before it is day, day, day,
That he chatters so long before it is day?"
13. "The cat was in at my cage door,
My body all for to slay.
And I was calling on pretty Polly [1]
To chase the cat away, way, way,
To chase the cat away."
1. Colleen