Lord Lovel- Hanford (OH) 1915 Brown I/ Eddy D
[From: Ballads and Songs from Ohio; Eddy, 1939. Her notes follow. Also Brown vol. 4 version I. 'Lord Lovel' single verse with music as sung by Mrs. Henry S. Hanford. Recorded at Chapel Hill. Set down by Professor J. H. Hanford, May 3, 1915 (see at bottom of page).
R. Matteson 2015]
LORD LOVEL
(Child, No.75)
This song is traditional in the family of Professor James Hanford of Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. His mother learned it from her mother whose home was in northern New York.
D. Lord Lovel. From James H. Hanford, Cleveland, Ohio. Also Brown I. 'Lord Lovel.' Sung by Mrs. Henry S. Hanford. Recorded at Chapel Hill. Set down by Professor J. H. Hanford, May 3, 1915.
1. Lord Lovel he stood by the castle gate
A-combing his milk steed,
Lady Nancy Bell came riding by
A wishing her lover good speed
A wishing her lover good speed speed, speed,
A wish-ing her lover good speed,
Lady Nancy Bell came a riding by,
A- wishing her lov- er good speed.
2."O, where are you going, Lord Lovel," she said,
"O, where are you goingr" said she;
"I'm going away, Lady Nancy," he said,
"Strange countries for to see;
Strange countries for to see, see, see,
Strange countries for to see."
(Repeat lines 3 and 4)
3 "O, when will you be back, Lord Lovel," she said,
"O, when will you be back," said she;
"In a year or two or three or more
I'll be back to my Lady Nancy;
I'll be back to my Lady Nancy, cy, cy,
I'll be back to my Lady Nancy."
4. He hadn't been gone but a year and a day
Strange countries for to see,
When languishing thoughts came into his head,
Lady Nancybell he must go see;
Lady Nancybell he must go see, see, see,
Lady Nancybell he must go see.
5. He rode and he rode on his milk-white steed
Till he came to London town;
(He heard the sound of a 6ne chapel bell)
And the people all mourning around;
And the people all mourning around, round, round,
And the people all mourning around.
6. "Is anybody dead," Lord Lovel he said,
"Is anybody dead," said he;
"My Lord's daughter is dead," the people they said,
"And some call her Lady Nancy;
And some call her Lady Nancy, cy, cy,
And some call her Lady Nancy."
7. . . . .
. . . . .
The tears came trickling down, down, down,
The tears came trickling down.
8. Lady Nancy was buried in the high church tower,
Lord Lovel was buried close by her,
And out of her bosom there grew a red rose,
And out of Lord Lovel's a brier;
And out of Lord Lovel's a brier, brier, brier,
And out of Lord Lovel's a brier.
9. Till they could nor grow no higher,
And there they entwined in a true lovers' knot
For true lovers to admire;
For true lovers to admire, mire, mire,
For true lovers to admire.
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I. 'Lord Lovel.' Sung by Mrs. Henry S. Hanford. Recorded at Chapel Hill. Set down by Professor J. H. Hanford, May 3, 1915. [The text is given in Eddy D; Ballads and Songs from Ohio, 1939]
For melodic relationship cf. ***BSO 41, No. 13D.
Scale: Heptachordal. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: aa1bb1a2 (4,4,2,2,4).