Outlandish Knight- Roger Grimes (Herts) c.2001 REC
[From: Musical Traditions Records' third CD release of 2005: Songs from the Golden Fleece: A song tradition today (MTCD335-6).
R. Matteson 2018]
Roger Grimes - although mainly known as the leader of the Grand Union dance band, Roger is a fine singer with a big repertoire featuring many fine ballads. Of himself, Roger says 'Originally from Hertfordshire, I moved to Gloucester via Leicester and Nottingham, where I ran Nottingham Traditional Music Club in the mid '70s, and playing in various dance bands. As well as being a solo singer I also sang with Notts Alliance.
The Outlandish Knight. Sung by Roger Grimes
An outlandish Knight from the northlands came
And he came a-wooing of me,
And he told he’d take me to the Northernlands
And there he would marry me.
Oh, go and fetch your father's gold
And some of your mother's fee,
And fetch three horses from out the stable
Where they stand thirty and three.
So she has got her father's gold
And some of her mother's fee,
And she’s brought three horses from out the stable
Where they stand thirty and three.
He mounted on the milk white horse
And she upon the grey,
And away they did ride ‘til they came to a stream,
Three hours before it was day.
"Unlight, unlight, my pretty fair maid,
Unlight unlight" cried he,
"For it's six pretty maids have I drownded here before,
And the seventh it shall be thee.
"Take off, take off your silken gown
And deliver it unto me,
For I fear it is too fine and too fair
To perish all in the salt sea."
She said "Go get a sickle to crop the thistle
That grows beside the brim,
That it will not tangle with my curly locks
Nor harm my milk white skin."
So he got a sickle to crop the thistle
That grew beside the brim,
And she's grabbed him around the middle so small
And he's gone tumbling in.
"Lie there, lie there, you false hearted knight,
Lie there, lie there" cried she.
"For it's six pretty maidens
You have drownded here before
But seventh one she have drownded thee."
Then she’s mounted on the milk white horse
And she has led the grey,
And she's rode 'til she's come to her father's own door
Three hours before it was day.
But the parrot being in the window so high,
A-hearing his young mistress did say,
"I'm afraid some ruffian have led you astray
That you tarry so long before it's day"
"Oh, don’t you prittle, don’t prattle, my pretty Polly,
And tell no tales on me,
And your cage shall be made of that finest beaten gold,
And your perch of the best ivory."
But her father being in the bedroom so high,
A-hearing of that parrot did say
"What’s the matter with you, my pretty Polly,
That you prattle so long before it's day?"
"Why, there came an old cat on the top of me cage
To take my sweet life away.
I was just a-calling on my young mistress
To frighten that old pussy away.
I was just a-calling on my young mistress
To frighten that old pussy away."