Lord Lovell- Montgomery (IN) 1935 Brewster A
[From Brewster: Ballads and Songs of Indiana; 1940. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
12. LORD LOVEL (Child, No. 75)
"Lord Lovel" is one of the best-known ballads in Indiana, though both "Lord Thomas and Fair Annet" and "Barbara Allen" have yielded more texts to the present collection. It was also the first traditional ballad to be contributed. Seven variants have been recovered, all of them belonging to Child B. In Indiana B, however, the vow of Lord Lovel to the dead Nancy Belle shows a closer relationship to the D version of Child.
American texts are to be found in Barry, No. 14; Barry, Eckstonn, and Smyth, p. 139; Belden, No. 6; Brown, p. 9; Campbell and Sharp, No. 18; Cox, p. 78; Davis, p. 240 (fifteen variants) and p. 573 (tunes); Hudson, Folksongs, p. 90; Jones, p. 301; Journal, XVIII, 291; XIX, 283; XXIV, 337 (Irish air); XXVIII, 199; XXIX, 160; XXXV, 343; McGill, p. 9; Pound, p. 4; Sandburg, p. 70; Scarborough, p. 55; Scarborough, Song Catcher, p. 99; Shearin and Combs, p. 8; Shoemaker, p. 124; Smith, p. 121; Randolph, Ozark Mountain Folks, p. 193; Smith and Rufty, American Anthology, p. 20; JFSS, II, 289; III, 64; Gardner, Folklore from the Scoharie Hills, p. 203; Cox, Traditional Ballads, pp. 24, 26. Irish text and air: BFSSNE, I, 5.
A. "Lord Lovell." Contributed by Mrs. Olevia A. Montgomery, of Evansville, Indiana. Vanderburg County. February 21, 1935.
1. Lord Lovell stood at the new castle gate,
Combing his milk-white steed,
When out stepped fair Lady Nancy Bell
To wish her lover God's speed, speed, speed,
To wish her lover God's speed.
2. "O where are you going, Lord Lovell?" she cried;
"O where are you going?" said she.
"I'm going, my fair Lady Nancy Bell,
Strange countries for to see, see, see,
Strange countries for to see."
3. "When will you be back, Lord Lovell?" she said;
"When will you be back?" said she.
"In a year or two at most," he said,
"I'll return to my fair Lady Nancy, -cy, -cy,
I'll return to my fair Lady Nancy."
4. He hadn't been gone but a year and a day,
Strange countries for to see,
Till longing thoughts came into his mind
Lady Nancy he'd go to see, see, see,
Lady Nancy he'd go to see.
5. He rode and he rode on his milk-white horse
Till he came to London Town,
And there he heard St. Pankers[1] church bell
And the people all mourning round, round, round,
And the people all mourning round.
6. "O what is the matter?" Lord Lovell he cried;
"O what is the matter?" said he.
"(A) Lord's lady is dead," a woman replied;
"Some called her Lady Nancy, -cy, -cy,
Some called her Lady Nancy."
7. He ordered the grave to be opened wide
And the veil to be turned down,
And there he gazed on his true-love's face
Till the tears came trickling down, down, down,
Till the tears came trickling down.
8. Lady Nancy died as it might be today;
Lord Lovell died tomorrow.[2]
Lady Nancy was laid in St. Pankers churchyard;
Lord Lovell was laid beside her, her, her,
Lord Lovell was laid beside her.[3]
9. And on her grave they planted a rose,
And on her lover's a brier;
And out of her bosom there grew a red rose,
And out of her lover's a brier, -ier, -ier,
And out of her lover's a brier.
10. They grew and they grew to the church steeple top
Till they could grow no higher,
And there they entwined in a true-lover's knot
For all true lovers to admire, -ire, -ire,
For all true lovers to admire.
Footnotes:
1 For St. Pancras.
3 For on the morrow.
3 Child B has for the last two lines:
"Fair Nancybelle died with pure, pure love,
Lord Lavel he died with sorrow."