Lord Lovel- Cannon (UT) 1950 Hubbard A
[Ballads and Songs from Utah; Hubbard, 1961. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2015]
LORD LOVEL
The Utah text and fragment correspond closely to the A text from Michigan (Gardner and Chickering, p.43-45) and A from Missouri Randolph, I, 112-115). See also Child, No. 75; Sharp, I, 146-149; Davis p. 244- 259; Barry, Eckstorm and Smyth, pp. 139-149; Belden, pp. 52-54; Morris, pp, 273-277.
A. Obtained from Miss Lenora Cannon of Salt Lake City, Dec. 10, 1950. Miss Cannon wrote this comment: "My mother used to tell the story of Lord Lovel, and my sister Alice and I would act it out. We thought it had the characteristics of a great play- we would spend hours arranging the scenes . . . and never seemed to tire of the story."
Lord Lovel stood at his castle gate
Combing his milk-white steed
When up came Lady Nancy Belie,
To wish her lover good speed, speed,
To wish her lover good speed.
"Where are you going Lord Lovel?" she said,
"Oh, where are you going?" said she.
"I'm going, my Lady Nancy Belle,
Strange countries for to see, to see,
Strange countries for to see."
"When will you be back, Lord Lovel?,, she said,
"Oh, when will you come back?" said she.
"In a year or two or three at the most,
I'll return to my fair Nancy, cy,
I'll return to my fair Nancy."
He had nor been gone a year and a day,
Strange countries for to see,
When languishing thoughts came into his head:
Lady Nancy Belle he must see, see,
Lady Nancy Belle he must see.
So he rode and he rode on his milk-white steed
Till he came to London town,
And there he heard St. Pancras' bells
And the people all mourning around, 'round,
And the people all mourning 'round.
"Oh, what is the matter, Lord Lovel?" he said,
"Oh, what is the matter?" said he.
"A lord's lady is dead," a woman replied,
"And some call her Lady Nancy, cy,
And some call her Lady Nancy."
So he ordered the grave to be opened wide,
And the shroud he then turned down,
And there he kissed her cold clay lips
Till the tears came trickling down, down,
Till the tears came trickling down.
Lady Nancy she died as it might be today;
Lord Lovel he died as tomorrow.
Lady Nancy she died out of pure' pure grief;
Lord Lovel he died out of sorrow' sorrow,
Lord Lovel he died out of sorrow.
Lady Nancy was laid in St. Pancras' church;
Lord Lovel was laid in the choir,
And out of her bosom grew a red, red rose,
And out of her lover's a briar, briar,
And out of her lover's a briar.
They grew and they grew to the church steeple top,
And then they could grow no higher;
So there they entwined in a true lover's knot
For all lovers true to admire, admire,
For all lovers true to admire.