Little Massy Groves- Rittenhouse(WV) 1957 Musick A
[From: Ballads and Folksongs from West Virginia by Ruth Ann Musick; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 70, No. 277 (Jul. - Sep., 1957), pp. 247-261. From the second article.
R. Matteson 2015]
8. "Little Massy Groves" (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard, Child 81)
8.1. Sung by John Rittenhouse, of Mannington.
(1) I walk-ied out one holiday,
Oh, the fairest in the year;
Oh, I went out to the old church house,
Oh, the holy words to hear,
Oh, the holy words to hear.
(2) The first of the ladies were dressed in red,
Oh, the next came down in green;
Oh, the next came down Lord Arnold's wife,
As fair as any queen,
Oh, as fair as any queen.
(3) "Come and go home with me, Little Massy,
Come and go home with me tonight."
"I know by the rings upon your hand,
Oh, you're Lord Arnold's wife,
Oh, you're Lord Arnold's wife."
(4) Her little foot page was standing there,
Oh, a-hearin' what they'd say;
He made a vow Lord Arnold should know
Before the break of day,
Oh, before the break of day.
(5) He had but sixteen miles to go,
And ten of them he run;
He run till he came to the brokendown bridge,
Oh, he bowed his head and he swum,
Oh, he bowed his head and he swum.
(6) He swum till he reached the other side;
Lord Arnold he did see;
"Bad news, bad news, I bring to you,
Bad news I bring to thee;
Oh, Little Massy Groves gone home with your wife,
Your wife I take it to be,
Oh, your wife I take it to be."
(7) "If this be the truth that you bring to me,
Rewarded you shall be,
But if this be a lie that you bring to me,
On the gallows you will hang,
On the gallows you will hang."
(8) "If this be a lie that I bring to you,
As you believe it to be,
You need not build a gallows for me,
Just hang me on a tree,
Oh, just hang me on a tree."
(9) Lord Arnold drew his men in a row,
Bid them not to speak or to say a word,
Or nary a horn to blow,
Or nary a horn to blow.
(10) Someone respected Little Massy Groves,
For they blew both loud and shrill,
For they blew both loud and shrill.
(11) "I must git up and go," he said,
"I must git up and go;
Lord Arnold is a living man,
I hear his horn a-blow,
Oh, I hear his horn a-blow."
(12) "Lie still, lie still, must you," she said,
"And keep me from the cold;
It's nothing but my father's shepherd boy
A-leadin' their sheep to the fold,
Oh, a-leadin' their sheep to the fold."
(I3) He took his lady on his knee
And he said unto her,
"Which do you like the best?" he said,
"Oh, me or Massy Groves?
Oh, me or Massy Groves?"
(14) "Very well do I like your cheek," she said;
"Very well do I like your chin;
But better do I like Little Massy Groves
Than you and all your kin,
Oh, than you and all your kin."
(15) He took his lady by the hair of the head,
And he drug her over the plain;
He drew his sword, and one mighty blow,
He split her head in twain,
Oh, he split her head in twain.
(16) Sweetly sings the nightingale,
Oh, sweetly sings the sparrow;
Lord Arnold slew his wife today,
And he will die tomorrow,
And he will die tomorrow.
[Mr. Rittenhouse: "And the story goes on, Lord Arnold woke him up early in the morning, and the Lord had a fine knife and things to fight with, and Massy Groves didn't have any. So they had an awful good fight, and Lord Arnold, he was the victor, and after Lord Arnold gained the victory he took his wife on his knee...."]