Geordie- Bray (NS) pre1950 Creighton A
[From: Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia by Creighton and Senior, 1950. The date should probably be c. 1937. I haven't found an exact reference to the date yet.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
A. "Geordie."- Sung by John Bray of Glencoe, NS; pre1950 Creighton A;
1. As I went over London bridge
Was in the morning early,
And there I met a fair lady,
Lamenting for her Geordie.
2. I then stepped up to this fair young one,
Saying, "Where are you going so early?"
"I'm going to my good lord judge," she cried,
To plead for the life of Geordie."
3 The judge looked over his right shoulder
And said to this fair lady,
"Fair lady, fair lady, you come too late,
Your Geordie is condemned forever."
4. "Has my Geordie been robbing all along,
Or has he wounded any?"
"Oh no, but he stole three of the king's gold rings[1]
And sold them in Virginny."
5. "Then my Geordie shall be hung with a golden chain,
These chains they are not many
For he was born of royal blood,
And courted by a loyal lady.
6. "Then my Geordie shall be buried
Such tombs there are not many,
For he was born of noble blood
And courted by a royal lady."
1. Tradition has it that if a judge looked over his right shoulder when passing sentence, it was an indication of mercy and clemency. To look over his left shoulder would have confirmed the guilt of the accused. In this variant, the judge looks over his right shoulder in verse 3, yet "Your Geordie is condemned forever." Quite possibly the significance of which shoulder he might look over was unknown to the singer of this version.
2. The usual number is sixteen. Child G has three geldinqs. Professor Robins suggests that the three white steeds may have become geldings and subsequently three gold rings.