Lord Lovel- Long (MS) pre1936 Hudson
[From Hudson; Folksongs of Mississippi; 1936. Hudson's notes follow. This ballad may be very old dating back though the family to the 1700s. While this may be an older version, it's certianly not complete- not sure what Hudson means in his notes.
R. Matteson 2015]
LORD LOVEL
(Child, No. 75)
Though I have heard of several people in Mississippi who were said to know "Lord Lovel," this is the only text that I have thus far been able to procure. While lacking the usual first two stanzas presenting Lord Lovel "at his castle gate Combing his milk-white steed" and Lady Nancy Belle (Ouncibel, etc.) inquiring whither he plans to go, the usual two or more describing his visit to London, and the usual stanzas like those in the conclusion to "Barbara Allen" describing the burial of the lovers and the twining of the rose and brier, the Mississippi text suggests the complete story of this beautiful old ballad. The fourth stanza is to be compared with the fourth stanza of the Mississippi B and C texts of "Lady Alice," and the whole story with those told in two other beautiful ballads closely related in theme, "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet" and "Fair Margaret and Sweet William," also in the Mississippi
collection.
For other American texts, see Brown, p. 9 (listed as known in North carolina); cox, No. 12; Campbell and sharp, No. 18 (from North Carolina); Davis, No. 20 (Virginia); Pound, No. 2; Sandburg, p.70; Reed Smith, No. 6; Shearin and Combs, p. 8 (listed); Barry No. 16. The Mississippi text was communicated by Miss Mary Ila Long, of Saltillo, who learned it from her mother, Mrs. Theodosia Bonnett Long.
1 "How long you'll be gone, Lord Lovell,'says she.
"How long you'll be gone?" says she.
"About one year, or two or three,
And I'll return to my loving Nancy, Nancy,
And I'll return to my loving Nancy Belle."
2 When he returned home, Lord Lovel, one day,
When he returned home one day,
He came to a town where the people were mourning,
Where the people were mourning all 'round, 'round, 'round,
Where the people were mourning all around.
3 "O who is dead?" Lord Lovel says he;
"O who is dead?" says he.
"I do not know, but I believe
They call her the loving Nancy Belle,
They call her the loving Nancy Belle."
4 "Go open the coffin," Lord Lovel says he,
"Go open the coffin," says he,
"That I may view once more the face
Of the fair and loving Nancy, Nancy,
Of the fair and loving Nancy Belle.
5 "Go dig my grave," Lord Lovel says he,
"Go dig my grave," says he,
"And I'll bid farewell to this vain world,
And I'll go with my loving Nancy, Nancy,
And I'll go with my loving Nancy Belle'"