Sheet Music: 7. Earl Brand
Bronson divides Earl Brand into six melodic groups A-F. Group A includes Brave Earl Brand below. Group B is the Scott's, Douglas tragedy. Group C is headed by ther American version by Lizzie Gibson collected by Cecil Sharp in 1918. Group D is headed by the US version by Shiflett in 1936. Group E is headed by an English version collected by Grieg and Keith in 1925 from Alexander Robb. Group F includes "Sweet William and Fair Ellen" by Willie Nolan of Kentucky.
Bronson Listings_____________________________________________
GROUP A- Brave Earl Brand and the King of England's Daughter
O, DID you ever hear of the brave Earl Brand,
Heylillie, ho lillie lallie;
He's courted the king's daughter o' fair England,
I' the brave nights so early!
She was scarcely fifteen years that tide,
When sae boldly she came to his bed-side.
'O, Earl Brand, how fain wad I see
A pack of hounds let loose on the lea.'
'O, lady fair, I have no steed but one,
But thou shalt ride and I will run.'
'O, Earl Brand, but my father has two,
And thou shalt have the best of tho'.'
Now they have ridden o'er moss and moor,
And they have met neither rich nor poor;
Till at last they met with old Carl Hood,
He's aye for ill, and never for good.
'Now Earl Brand, an ye love me,
Slay this old Carl and gar him dee.'
'O, lady fair, but that would be sair,
To slay an auld Carl that wears grey hair
'My own lady fair, I'll not do that,
I'll pay him his fee. . . . . . .'
'O, where have ye ridden this lee lang day,
And where have ye stown this fair lady away?'
'I have not ridden this lee lang day,
Nor yet have I stown this lady away;
'For she is, I trow, my sick sister,
Whom I have been bringing fra' Winchester.'
'If she's been sick, and nigh to dead,
What makes her wear the ribbon so red?
'If she's been sick, and like to die,
What makes her wear the gold sae high?'
When came the Carl to the lady's yett,
He rudely, rudely rapped thereat.
'Now where is the lady of this hall?
'She's out with her maids a playing at the ball.'
'Ha, ha, ha! ye are all mista'en,
Ye may count your maidens owre again.
'I met her far beyond the lea
With the young Earl Brand his leman to be.'
Her father of his best men armed fifteen,
And they're ridden after them bidene.
The lady looked owre her left shoulder then,
Says, 'O Earl Brand we are both of us ta'en.'
'If they come on me one by one,
You may stand by till the tights be done;
'But if they come on me one and all,
You may stand by and see me fall.'
They came upon him one by one,
Till fourteen battles he has won;
And fourteen men he has them slain,
Each after each upon the plain.
But the fifteenth man behind stole round,
And dealt him a deep and a deadly wound.
Though he was wounded to the deid,
He set his lady on her steed.
They rode till they came to the river Doune,
And there they lighted to wash his wound.
'O, Earl Brand, I see your heart's blood!'
'It's nothing but the glent and my scarlet hood.'
They rode till they came to his mother's yett,
So faint and feebly he rapped thereat.
'O, my son's slain, he is falling to swoon,
And it's all for the sake of an English loon.'
'O, say not so, my dearest mother,
But marry her to my youngest brother—
'To a maiden true he'll give his hand,
Hey lillie, ho lillie lallie.
To the king's daughter o' fair England,
To a prize that was won by a slain brother's brand,
I' the brave nights so early!
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GROUP B- Earl Brand- Child Version B
Scott's Minstrelsy, III, 246, ed. 1803; III, 6, ed. 1833; the copy principally used supplied by Mr. Sharpe, the three last stanzas from a penny pamphlet and from tradition.
THE DOUGLAS TRAGEDY
(Melody from Bronson- originally Bb)
[Click here to view piano score from Chambers in 1844]
1 'Rise up, rise up, now, Lord Douglas,' she says,
'And put on your armour so bright;
Let it never be said that a daughter of thine
Was married to a lord under night.
2 'Rise up, rise up, my seven bold sons,
And put on your armour so bright,
And take better care of your youngest sister,
For your eldest's awa the last night.'
3 He's mounted her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey,
With a bugelet horn hung down by his side,
And lightly they rode away.
4 Lord William lookit oer his left shoulder,
To see what he could see,
And there he spy'd her seven brethren bold,
Come riding over the lee.
5 'Light down, light down, Lady Margret,' he said,
'And hold my steed in your hand,
Until that against your seven brethren bold,
And your father, I mak a stand.'
6 She held his steed in her milk-white hand,
And never shed one tear,
Until that she saw her seven brethren fa,
And her father hard fighting, who lovd her so dear.
7 'O hold your hand, Lord William!' she said,
'For your strokes they are wondrous sair;
True lovers I can get many a ane,
But a father I can never get mair.'
8 O she's taen out her handkerchief,
It was o the holland sae fine,
And aye she dighted her father's bloody wounds,
That were redder than the wine.
9 'O chuse, O chuse, Lady Margret,' he said,
'O whether will ye gang or bide?'
'I'll gang, I'll gang, Lord William,' she said,
'For ye have left me no other guide.'
10 He's lifted her on a milk-white steed,
And himself on a dapple grey,
With a bugelet horn hung down by his side,
And slowly they baith rade away.
11 O they rade on, and on they rade,
And a' by the light of the moon,
Until they came to yon wan water,
And there they lighted down.
12 They lighted down to tak a drink
Of the spring that ran sae clear,
And down the stream ran his gude heart's blood,
And sair she gan to fear.
13 'Hold up, hold up, Lord William,' she says,
'For I fear that you are slain;'
''Tis naething but the shadow of my scarlet cloak,
That shines in the water sae plain.'
14 O they rade on, and on they rade,
And a' by the light of the moon,
Until they cam to his mother's ha door,
And there they lighted down.
15 'Get up, get up, lady mother,' he says,
'Get up, and let me in!
Get up, get up, lady mother,' he says,
'For this night my fair lady I've win.
16 'O mak my bed, lady mother,' he says,
'O mak it braid and deep,
And lay Lady Margret close at my back,
And the sounder I will sleep.'
17 Lord William was dead lang ere midnight,
Lady Margret lang ere day,
And all true lovers that go thegither,
May they have mair luck than they!
18 Lord William was buried in St. Mary's kirk,
Lady Margret in Mary's quire;
Out o the lady's grave grew a bonny red rose,
And out o the knight's a briar.
19 And they twa met, and they twa plat,
And fain they wad be near;
And a' the warld might ken right weel
They were twa lovers dear.
20 But bye and rade the Black Douglas,
And wow but he was rough!
For he pulld up the bonny brier,
And flang't in St. Mary's Loch.
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GROUP C- Earl Brand- Mrs. Lizzie Gibson, Crozet VA 1918 from Sharpe and Karpeles, 1932
1. Wake you up, wake you up, you seven sleepers
And do take warning of me;
O do take care of your oldest daughter dear
For the youngest are going with me.
2. He mounted her up on his bonny, bonny brown
Himself on the dark apple grey,
He drew his buckles down by his side
And away he went singing away.
3. Get you up, get you up, my seven sons bold
Get on your arms so bright;
For it never shall be said that a daughter of mine
Shall lie with a lord all night.
4. He rode, he rode that livelong day
Along with his lady so dear,
Until he saw her seventh brother come
And her father were walking so near.
5. Get you down, get you down, Lady Margaret, he cried,
And hold my horse for awhile,
Until I can fight your seventh brother bold,
And your father is walking so nigh.
6. She held, she held, she *bitter, bitter held
And never shedded one tear,
Until she saw her seventh brother fall
And her father she loved so dear.
7. Do you choose for to go? Lady Margaret, he cried,
Do you choose for to go or to stay?
O I'll go, I'll go, Lord Thomas, she cried
For you've left me without any guide.
8. He mounted her up on his bonny, bonny brown
Himself on the dark apple grey,
He grewn (drew) his buckles down by his side
And away he went bleeding away.
9. He rode, he rode, that livelong noght
Till he came to his mother's stand;
Get you down, get you down, Lady Margaret, he cried
So that we can rest for a while.
10. It's mother, mother, make my bed
And fix it smooth and wide,
And lie my lady down by my side
So that we can rest awhile.
11. Lord Thomas he died by midnight,
Lady Margaret before it was day;
And the old woman for the loss of her son
And there was several lives lost.
*Better?