Little Matty Groves- Hollon (IL-OK) 1900 Moore B
[My date, full version with music from the Moores book, Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest; 1964. The informant, moved to Oklahomas in 1900, so I'm assuming the ballad pre-dates 1900. Compare to New England versions (Barry -Flanders).
R. Matteson 2015]
23. Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
B. Little Matty Groves, sung by Mrs. Effie Hollon of Lane. Mrs. Hollon was born in Illinois and came to Oklahoma around the turn of the century. Her people were originally from New England.
It was all on a hollow day,
The very first day of the
When little Mat Groves had
God's holy word to hear.
The first came in was a fair young lady,
The next came in was a boy;[1]
The next came in was Lord Arnold's wife,
The fairest of them all,
The fairest of them all.
She turned herself around and about
Till she cast her eyes on him.
"You must go home with me tonight,
This whole long night to stay,
This whole long night to stay."
"I would not go home with you tonight,
But it's partly for my life.
Those rings you wear on your left hand,
Tells you are Lord Arnold's wife,
Tells you are Lord Arnold's wife."
"What if I am Lord Arnold's wife,
As you suppose me to be?
Lord Arnold's gone to New Orleans,
King Henry for to see,
King Henry for to see."
A little foot page was a-standing nigh;
He took to his heels and he run.
The bridges being torn down,
He bore to his breast and he swum,
He bore to his breast and he swum.
He swum till he came to King Henry's gate,
And there he rung the bell.
No one was so ready but Lord Arnold hisself,
For to rise and let him in,
For to rise and let him in.
"What news is this, my little foot page,
This news you bring to me?
Are my costly walls all torn down,
Or is my towers won,
Or is my towers won?"
"Your costly walls are not torn down,
Neither is your towers, too;
'Tis only little Matty Groves,
In bed with your fair one,
In bed with your fair one."
"If this news be true, my little foot page,
This news you bring to me,
I have the only daughter fair,
And married you shall be,
And married you shall be.
"If this news be false, my little foot page,
This news you bring unto me,
Your head shall be for carcass sight,
And hangdd you shall be,
And hangdd you shall be."
So then Lord Arnold he took his men,
And he placed them in a row,
And he forbid a word to be spoken
Or even a horn to blow,
Or even a horn to blow.
One of these men that knew little Mat,
That knew little Mat full well,
He placed his bugle to his lips,
And he blew both loud and shrill,
And he blew both loud and shrill.
"Hark, hark! I hear Lord Arnold's horn!
And a hark I hear them blow,
And every note that they strike,
Says, 'Rise ye up and go,'
Says, 'Rise ye up and go.' "
"Lie still, lie still, Little Matty Groves,
And keep me from the cold.
'Tis only my father's shepherd boy
A-blowing the flock to the fold,
A-blowing the flock to the fold."
At first they fell to hugging and kissing,
And then they fell asleep;
And in the morning when they woke,
Lord Arnold was at their feet,
Lord Arnold was at their feet.
"How do you like my nice downy bed,
How do you like my sheets?
How do you like my fair one,
Who lies in your arms asleep,
Who lies in your arms asleep?"
"Very well do I like your nice downy bed,
Very well do I like your sheets;
Much better do I like your fair one,
Who lies in my arms asleep,
Who lies in my arms asleep."
"Get up, get up, little Matty Groves,
And put your clothing on.
I don't want it said when I am dead
That a naked man I slew,
That a naked man I slew."
"f hate to get up this morning
To fight you for my life,
When you have two swords buckled to your side,
And me not even a knife,
And me not even a knife."
"What if I have two swords buckled to my side?
They cost me deep in the purse.
And I will give you the best of the two,
And I will take the worst,
And I will take the worst."
When little Mat had struck his blow,
It addled Lord Arnold so,
But when Lord Arnold struck his blow,
Little Mat could strike no more,
Little Mat could strike no more.
He took his wife all on his knee,
And he trotted her one, two, three,
Saying, "Which do you love the best of the two,
Little Mat Groves or me,
Little Mat Groves or me?"
"Very well do I like your red rosy cheeks,
Also your dimpled chin;
Much better do I like little Matty Groves
Than you and all your kin,
Than you and all your kin!"
He took her by the lily-white hand,
Led her over across the plain.
He had a big, bright two-edged sword,
And he split her head between[2],
And he split her head between.
"Hark, hark! I hear the nightingale sing,
And the spirits they do cry,
'Today I've killed two lovely people,
And tomorrow I shall die,
And tomorrow I shall die."
1. usually it's "girl" which was originally "pearl" and perhaps goes back to "pall."
2. usually "in twain" to rhyme