[Seven Bretherens] Earl Brand- Mrs. Polly Shelton (North Carolina) 1916; EFSSA, Sharp Version A
[My title replacing the generic Child title. From English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, Sharp/Campbell 1917. This version is nearly identical to the NC version published by Perrow 1913-- which is also Brown, Version A.
R. Matteson 2014]
EARL BRAND- Sharp Version A; Mrs. Polly Shelton, White Rock, NC July 28, 1916.
[Click to view sheet music]
1. O rise you up, ye seven bretherens,
And bring your sisiter down;
It never shall be said that a steward's[1] son,
Had taken her out of town.
2. "I thank you kindly sir," he says,
I am no steward's son.
My father is a Regis[2] king,
And my mother a Quaker's queen.
3 He mound ( mounted) her on a milk-white steed,
He rode a dapple grey.
He swung a bugle horn all round about his neck
And so went blowing away.
4 He had not gone three mile out of town
Till he looked back again,
And saw her father and seven bretherens
Come trippling over the plain.
5. "Sit you down, fair Ellender," he said,
"And hold this steed by the rein,
Till I play awhile with your father
And your seven bretherens."
6. Fair Ellender she sat still,
It wasn't long till she saw
Her own dear seven bretherens,
All wallowing in their blood.
7 Fair Ellender she sat still,
She never changed a note
Till she saw her own father's head
Come tumbling by her foot.
8 Saying: "Love runs free in every vein,
But father you have no more,
If you're not satisfied with this,
I wish you were in some mother's chamber
And me in some house or room."
9 "If I was in my mother's chamber
You'd be welcome there.
I'll wind you east, I'll wind you west,
I'll wind along with you."
10 He mound her on a milk-white steed,
He rode the dapple grey,
He swung a bugle horn all round about his neck
And so went bleeding away.
11. As he rode up to his father's gate
He tingled at the ring, Saying:
"O dear father, asleep or awake,
Arise and let me in."
12. "O sister, sister, make my bed,
My wounds are very sore.
Saying: "O dear mother, O bind up my head,
For me you'll bind no more."
13. It was about three hours till day,
The cock began to crow.
From every wound that he received
His heart blood began to flow.
14. Sweet William he died like it might be to-day,
Fair Ellender tomorrow.
Sweet William he died for the wounds he received,
Fair Ellen died for sorrow.
15. Fair Ellender was buried by the church door,
Sweet William was buried by her;
And out of her breast sprung a blood red rose
And out of his a briar.
16. They growed, they growed to the top of the church
Till they could grow no higher,
And there they tied a true love's knot
And the rose ran round the briar.
1. This sometimes incorrectly refers to a sir name usually Stuart, Stewart.
2. Sharp couldn't understand (can't blame him- haha) and his footnote is: The richness of kings? This would be the likely text:
My father is the richest of kings,
My mother's a Quaker's queen [See: Mrs. Moore's Version D]
Another version has "rich old." A different solution could be "reigning" or perhaps "registered" or "royal."