False Sir John- Jean Ritchie (KY) 1954 REC
[From Bronson 102; Kentucky Mountain Songs, Elektra, LP rec. 25. Sung by Jean Ritchie, 1954 as learned from family tradition.
Also from Folkways Records No.FA2301; ©1961 CHILD BALLADS IN AMERICA, Volume 1 sung by Jean Ritchie; learned from her Uncle Jason. False Sir John also appears on the album Mountain Hearth & Home.
The source of this ballad is Child C, and it appears to be a re-creation rather than a traditional version.
R. Matteson 2014]
FALSE SIR JOHN- From Jean Ritchie recording, 1954
False Sir John a-wooing came
To a lady young and fair.
May Colvin was this lady's name,
Her father's only heir,
Her father's only heir.
He wooed her while she spun the thread
And while they made the hay,
Until he gained her low consent
To mount and ride away,
To mount and ride away.
"It's bring me some of your father's gold
And some of your mother's fee.
I'll take thee to some far-off land
And there I'll marry thee,
And there I'll marry thee."
She's gone unto her father's coffer,
Where all of his monies lay;
She's took the yellow and left the white
And lightly skipped away,
And lightly skipped away.
She's gone unto her father's stables,
Where all of his steeds did stand;
She's took the best and left the worst
In all her father's land,
In all her father's land.
She's mounted on a milk-white steed
And he on a dapple gray;
And they rode till they come to a lonesome spot,
A cliff by the side of the sea,
A cliff by the side of the sea.
"Light down, light down," said False Sir John;
"Your bridal bed you'll see:
It's seven women have I drownded here
And the eighth one you shall be,
And the eighth one you shall be.
"Have off, have off your Holland smock
With borders all around,
For it's too costly to lav down here
And rot on the cold, cold ground,
And rot on the cold, cold ground."
"Turn around, turn around, thou False Sir John,
And look at the leaves on the tree.
It don't become a gentleman
A naked woman to see,
A naked woman to see."
Oh, False Sir John has turned around
To gaze at the leaves on the tree;
She's made a dash with her tender little arms
And pushed him into the sea,
And pushed him into the sea.
"Oh, help! oh, help! May Colvin!
Oh, help, or I shall drown!
I'll take you back to your father's house
And lightly set you down,
And lightly set you down."
"No help, no help," said May Colvin,
"No help will you get from me.
The bed's no colder to you, sir,
Than you thought to give to me,
Than you thought to give to me."
She mounted on the milk-white steed
And led the dapple gray,
And rode till she come to her father's house
At the breaking of the day,
At the breaking of the day.
Then up and spoke the little parrot,
Said: "May Colvin, where have you been?
And what have you done with False Sir John
That went with you ridin',
That went with you ridin'?"
"Oh, hold your tongue, you little parrot
And tell no tales on me,
And I'll buy you a cage of beaten gold
With spokes of ivory,
With spokes of ivory."
------------------
X:102
T:False Sir John
T:Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
C:Trad
B:Bronson
O:Kentucky Mountain Songs, Elektra, LP rec. 25. Sung by
O:Jean Ritchie, I954; learned from family tradition.
N:First bar given as: d |d d2 g>e | (which doesn't add up)
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:Gmix % Hexatonic ( -4) irregular
d |d2 g>e | d d/B/ HG d |
w:False Sir John a-woo-ing* came To~a
d d g f | d3 d | d d "(a)"g e | d d/B/ G3/ G/ |
w:la-dy young and fair. May Col-vin was this la-dy's* name, Her
B B A G | B3 D | B B A B/A/ | G3 |]
w:fath-er's on-ly heir, Her fath-er's on-ly* heir.
%"(a)"g g/e/ ||"(a)"g3/ e/ ||
W:
W:False Sir John a-wooing came
W:To a lady young and fair.
W:May Colvin was this lady's name,
W:Her father's only heir,
W:Her father's only heir.
W:
W:He wooed her while she spun the thread
W:And while they made the hay,
W:Until he gained her low consent
W:To mount and ride away,
W:To mount and ride away.
W:
W:"It's bring me some of your father's gold
W:And some of your mother's fee.
W:I'll take thee to some far-off land
W:And there I'll marry thee,
W:And there I'll marry thee."
W:
W:She's gone unto her father's coffer,
W:Where all of his monies lay;
W:She's took the yellow and left the white
W:And lightly skipped away,
W:And lightly skipped away.
W:
W:She's gone unto her father's stables,
W:Where all of his steeds did stand;
W:She's took the best and left the worst
W:In all her father's land,
W:In all her father's land.
W:
W:She's mounted on a milk-white steed
W:And he on a dapple gray;
W:And they rode till they come to a lonesome spot,
W:A cliff by the side of the sea,
W:A cliff by the side of the sea.
W:
W:"Light down, light down," said False Sir John;
W:"Your bridal bed you'll see:
W:It's seven women have I drownded here
W:And the eighth one you shall be,
W:And the eighth one you shall be.
W:
W:"Have off, have off your Holland smock
W:With borders all around,
W:For it's too costly to lav down here
W:And rot on the cold, cold ground,
W:And rot on the cold, cold ground."
W:
W:"Turn around, turn around, thou False Sir John,
W:And look at the leaves on the tree.
W:It don't become a gentleman
W:A naked woman to see,
W:A naked woman to see."
W:
W:Oh, False Sir John has turned around
W:To gaze at the leaves on the tree;
W:She's made a dash with her tender little arms
W:And pushed him into the sea,
W:And pushed him into the sea.
W:
W:"Oh, help! oh, help! May Colvin!
W:Oh, help, or I shall drown!
W:I'll take you back to your father's house
W:And lightly set you down,
W:And lightly set you down."
W:
W:"No help, no help," said May Colvin,
W:"No help will you get from me.
W:The bed's no colder to you, sir,
W:Than you thought to give to me,
W:Than you thought to give to me."
W:
W:She mounted on the milk-white steed
W:And led the dapple gray,
W:And rode till she come to her father's house
W:At the breaking of the day,
W:At the breaking of the day.
W:
W:Then up and spoke the little parrot,
W:Said: "May Colvin, where have you been?
W:And what have you done with False Sir John
W:That went with you ridin',
W:That went with you ridin'?"
W:
W:"Oh, hold your tongue, you little parrot
W:And tell no tales on me,
W:And I'll buy you a cage of beaten gold
W:With spokes of ivory,
W:With spokes of ivory."