Lord Lovel- Tillett (NC) pre1933 Chappell
[From Folk-Songs from the Roanoke and Albemarle; Chappell, 1939, p. 27-28. Sung by Charles Tillett, Wanchese, N.C. Tune set down in 1935, text in 1933.
Tink Tillet was once of Chappell's best informants; he also contributed to The Brown Collection and Frank Warner's collections.
R. Matteson 2015]
1. He rode and he rode on his milk-white steed
Till he came to London town,
And there he heard St. Patrick's bell
And the people all mourning around,
And the people all mourning around.
2. O what is the matter? Lord Lovel he said,
O what is the matter? said he.
The lord's lady's dead, the people replied,
And they called her Lady Nancy,
And they called her Lady Nancy.
3. He ordered the grave to be opened wide
And the winding sheets turned down,
And there he kissed the clay cold lips
Till tears came trinkling down,
Till tears came trinkling down.
4. He kissed her once, he kissed her twice,
He kissed her three times four;
He laid his head on Lady Nancy's breast
And never spoke no more,
And never spoke no more.
5. Lady Nancy was buried in the old churchyard,
Lord Lovel in the choir;
From Lady Nancy's breast grew a milk-white rose,
From Lord Lovel's grew a briar,
From Lord Lovel's grew a briar.
6. They grew and they grew to the church steeple top,
Until they couldn't grow any higher;
They wrapped and they tied in a true lover's knot,
The rose bud and the briar,
The rose bud and the briar.