The Brown Girl- Short (Mo.) 1941 Randolph H
[Full version with music from Vance Randolph's Ozark Folksongs, vol. 1- Ballads, 1946.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
H. The Brown Girl- Sung by Mrs. Lillian Short, Galena, Mo., Oct. 15, 1941. She had it from Mrs. H. E. McKinney, Cabool, Mo. Randolph
Oh mother, oh mother come riddle us down,
Come riddle us both as one.
Whether I must marry fair Ellinor
Or bring the brown girl home.
The brown girl she has house and land,
Fair Elinor has none,
And I would advise you with my blessing
To bring the brown girl home.
He rode all up to Elinor's gate
And knocked upon the ring,
There was none so ready as fair Elinor
To rise and let him in.
Bad news, bad news, fair Elinor,
Bad news I bring to thee,
I came to invite you to my wedding,
The brown girl the bride to be.
Bad news, bad news, Lord Thomas, she said,
Bad news you bring to me.
I thought to be a bride myself,
And you the bridegroom to be.
Mother, oh mother, come riddle us down,
Come riddle us both as one,
Whether must I go to Lord Thomas's wedding
Or stay at home and mourn'
Many may be your friends, my dear,
And many more be your foes,
But I would advise you with my blessing
To Lord Thomas's wedding not go.
Many may be my friends, said she,
And many more be my foes,
But the tide be good or the tide be bad,
To Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go.
She dressed herself in holland so white,
She wrapped her head in green,
And every town that she passed through
They took her to be some queen.
She rode all up to Lord Thomas's gate,
And she knocked on the ring,
There was none so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To rise and let her in.
He took her by the lily-white hand
And led her through the hall,
And sat her down in a chair of gold
Among the ladies all.
Is this your bride, Lord Thomas, she said,
She looks most wonderful brown,
You might have had as fair a bride
As ever the sun shone on.
Hush, oh hush, fair Elinor,
And don't you despise her to me,
For I do love your little finger
Better than her whole body.
The brown girl had a little pen knife,
It was both keen and sharp,
Betwixt the short ribs and the lungs
She pierced fair Elinor's heart.
Oh what's the matter, fair Elinor,
You look most wonderful down,
You used to have so fresh a color
As ever the sun shone on.
Are you blind, Lord Thomas, she said,
Or can you not well see,
For don't you see my own heart's blood
Come trickling down from me?
Lord Thomas he had a two-edged sword,
It was both keen and small,
And he cut off the brown girl's head
And threw it against the wall.
Oh mother, oh mother, go dig my grave,
And dig it both wide and deep,
And place fair Elinor in my arms
And the brown girl at my feet.
The hilt he pointed unto the ground,
The point unto his heart.
Was there ever three lovers together did love,
So soon they all did part?