The Brown Girl- Tucker (MD) pre1944 Carey
[My date, when Tucker died, clearly this is much older. From: "Maryland Folk Legends and Folk Songs" by George G. Carey. Tidewater Publishers, 1971.
Alice Felena Ridgeway Tucker (1858-1944) lived in Davidsonville, Maryland most of her life. The ballad was taken from granddaughter June Chance and June's mother, who wrote down the words to 113 of Tucker's songs. This version is very similar to the English broadside and print versions (Child D) such as the Forget-Me Not Songster, but is missing the opening stanza.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Brown Girl- From the repertoire of Mrs. Tucker.
1. "Come riddle my riddle, dear Mother," he said;
"Come riddle us both as one;
Shall I marry fair Eleanor,
Or bring the brown girl home?"
2. "The brown girl she has got money;
Fair Eleanor, she has none;
So therefore, I charge you on my blessing
To bring the brown girl home."
3. And as it fell on a holiday
For many more beside,
Lord Thomas went unto fair Eleanor
Who would liked to have been his bride.
4. And when he came to fair Eleanor's bow[1],
He knocked all at the ring;
And who was more ready than fair Eleanor
To let Lord Thomas in.
5. 'What news, what news, Lord Thomas?" she cried;
'What news, have you brought unto me?"
"I have come to bid you to my wedding,
And that is sad news, " said he.
6. "O God forgive you, Lord Thomas, " she said;
"Such a thing should never be done;
I thought to have been the bride myself,
And thou to have been the bridegroom. "
7. "Come riddle my riddle, dear Mother, " she said;
"Come riddle us both as one,
Shall I go to Lord Thomas's wedding,
Or tarry with you at home?"
8. "As many as are your friends, daughter,
And thousands there are your foes;
Therefore I charge you on my blessing
Lord Thomas's wedding don't go. "
9. "As many as are my friends, Mother,
And thousands there are my foes;
Betide my life or betide my death,
Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go. "
10. She dressed herself in scarlet red;
Her three merry maids in green,
And every town that she passed through
They took her for some queen.
11. And when she came to Lord Thomas's bow
She knocked all at the ring,
And who was more ready than Lord Thomas
To let fair Eleanor in.
12. He caught her by her lily white hand,
And let her into the hall;
He seated her in a noble chair
Among the ladies all.
13. "Is that your bride, Lord Thomas?" she said;
"I think she looks quite brown,
When you might have married as fair a woman
As ever the sun shone on. "
14. "Despise her not, despise her not,
Despise her not unto me,
For better I love her little finger
Than I do your whole body. "
15. The brown girl had a little pocket knife
Which was both keen and sharp;
Between the short rib and the lung,
She pierced fair Eleanor's heart.
16. Lord Thomas he had a sword at his side
As he walked through the hall;
He cut his bride's head off to the shoulder,
And threw it against the wall.
17. "Go dig my grave," Lord Thomas he said,
"Dig it both wide and deep,
And place fair Eleanor at my side
And the brown girl at my feet. "
18. He placed the hilt all in the ground;
The blade he placed to his heart;
There never was three lovers, I'm sure,
Then [sic] sooner they all did part.
1. bower