Lord Thomas- Lunsford (NC) 1949 Emrich REC
[From Bronson TTCB, LOC REcording LC/AAFS, rec.. No. 9476 (A1). Recorded by Duncan M. B. Emrich, Washington, D.C., 1949.
R. Matteson 2014]
Lord Thomas- Sung by Bascom Lamar Lunsford; learned from Mrs. Wacaster, originally from north Georgia, later resident in the Great Smoky Mountains, in Ravensford, Swaine County, N.C.
1. Lord Thomas was a very young gentleman,
Lord of many a town;
Fair Ellender she was a very pretty girl;
Lord Thomas, he loved her well, well, well,
Lord Thomas, he loved her well.
2. "Come father and mother, unriddle my riddle,
Unriddle them both as one,
Shall I marry Fair Ellender,
Or bring the brown girl home, home, home,
Or bring the brown girl home?”
3. The brown girl she has houses and land,
Fair Ellender she has none,
I invite you to with all our blessing
To bring the brown girl home, home, home,
To bring the brown girl home."
4. He dressed himself in bretcham [rich and] gay
To make both white and green,
And every station that he rode through
They took him to be some king, some king,
They took him to be some king.
5. He rode till he came to fair Ellender's house,
He knocked so loud at the ring
And none other than Ellender herself
Should rise to let him come in, come in,
Should rise to let him come in.
6. "What is it that's new," fair Ellender she cried,
"What news have you brought me?"
"I've come to invite you to my wedding,
It's a very sad thing to me, to me,
It's a very sad thing to me."
7. "I know there's many that'll be your friend,
And many will be your foe.
I invite you to your own good blessing,
To tarry this night at home, at home,
To tarry this night at home."
8. "I know there's many that'll be your friend,
Many will be your foe.
But little as I do care for that night.
Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go, go, go,
Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go.
9. She dressed herself in rich and gay,
To make both white and green,
And every station she rode through town,
They took her to be some queen, some queen,
They took her to be some queen.
10. She rode until she came to Lord Thomas's house,
She knocked so loud at the ring.
None was so ready as Lord Thomas himself,
To rise and let her come in, come in,
To rise and let her come in.
11. He took her by the little white hand,
He led her through the hall,
He sat her down at the head of the table,
Among the bride and all, and all,
Among the bride and all.
12. "Is that your bride," fair Ellender she cried,
"She looks most wonderful brown.
It was once you could married a fair-skinned girl
As ever the sun shone on, shone on,
As ever the sun shone on."
13. "Despise her not," Lord Thomas he cried,
"Despise her not for me;
Why, I love the end of your finger
As well as her whole body, body,"
As well as her whole body."
14. The brown girl she had a little thin knife,
Both long and keen and sharp,
Between the long ribs and the short ones,
She speared fair Ellender's heart, her heart,
She speared fair Ellender's heart.
15. "What is the matter, Lord Thomas," she cried,
"Are you blind or can't you see,
I believe I feel my own heart's blood
Come twankeling down my knee,
Come twankeling down my knee, my knee."
16. He took the brown girl by the hand,
And a led her through the hall,
And with his sword he cut off her head,
And he kicked it against the wall, the wall,
And he kicked it against the wall.
17. "Come father and mother and dig my grave,
Dig my grave both wide and deep;
[Fair] lay Fair Ellender in my arms,
And the brown girl at my feet, my feet,
And the brown girl at my feet."
18. He placed the sword-handle on the floor,
The point toward his heart.
And here is the end of three long lovers,
Lord send their souls to rest, to rest,
Lord send their souls to rest.