Lord Lovel- Proffitt (NC) pre1962 Warner/Patton
[From "Frank Proffitt- Memorial Album" Folk Legacy- CD36 recorded c. 1964 Sany Patton. Title: Lord Lovell.
Also from Frank Proffitt -2, recorded in North Carolina between 1941-1962 by the Warners. This second album includes talk about the Civil War, and a poem, as well as Frank's interview with Frank Warner and Douglas Kennedy about the fretless banjo, including a demonstration of tunings. Title: Lord Lovel.
Frank Proffitt (1913-1965) was from Beech Mountain, NC and married in to the Hicks family (Nathan Hicks's daughter). He also learned songs from his parents side of the family including his great Aunt, Nancy Prather (Tom Dooley).
R. Matteson 2015]
Lord Lovel- Frank Proffitt, Beech Mountain, NC
[banjo intro]
1 Lord Lovel he stood by his castle door,
He stood a-combing his milk-white steed,
And along came Lady Nancy Bell,
A- wishin' her lover good spee- e -ed,
A-wishin' her lover good speed.
2 O where are you going, Lord Lovel, she said,
O where are you going said she;
I'm going dear lady Nancy Bell,
Strange countries far[1] to see -e -e,
Strange countries far to see.
[Banjo]
3 When will you be back Lord Lovel? she said,
O when will you be back? said she;
In a year or two or three at the most,
I'll return to my Lady Nancie -e, -e
I'll return to my Lady Nancy.
4 he hadn't been gone a year and a day,
Strange countries for to see,
When languishing thoughts came deep in his mind,
Lady Nancy he would see, see, see,
Lady Nancy Bell he would see.
5 So he mounted on his milk-white steed,
Till he rode to London's fair Town,
And there he heard St. Varney's bell,
And the people all mourning round, round,
And the people all mourning round.
6 Is anyone dead? Lord Lovel he said,
Is O what is the matter? said he.
Some called her lady Nancy Bell a woman replied,
Some call her lady Nancy, e, e,
And some call her lady Nancy.
7. So he had the grave to be opened wide,
And the shroud[2] a turned down,
And then he kissed her clay cold lips,
And the tears they came trickling dow- ow -own,
And the tears they came trickling down.
8. Now they buried her in old church yard
Lord Lovel was buried beside her
They growed and they growed in the old church yard
And they couldn't grow any high- i -er
And they couldn't grow any higher.
The rose around the bri- i- iar
The rose around the briar.
1. "for" sounds like "far"