The Well Water- Graham (CA) 1938 Robertson REC
[UC-WPA Disk No. 8E-A1, recorded at San Jose; California, December 1938 by Sidney Robertson, collector.
R. Matteson 2014]
The Well Water (Young Henry or Love Henry) Sung by George Vinton Graham.
In Yorkshire lived a noble knight,
Young Henry so gallant and bold.
His true heart was light and his armor bright
With a helmet of silver and gold.
His steed he did rein over mountain and plain,
But, alas, he did ne'er come again,
For he rode away by a well, they say,
To see little Lee, his love.
With an eventide Young Henry she spied,
Dashing up on his milk white steed.
To earth Henry sprang and his gold armor rang;
With outstretched arms did she plead.
"Come in, lie down, young Henry," she said.
"And stay all night with me,
For there never was a lord in Yorkshire land
That I loved as well as thee."
5. "No, I can't tarry and I won't lie down,
And stay all night with thee,
For there is a girl in Yorkshire land
That I love far better than thee."
6. 'Neath her mantle fold, in her hand she did hold,
Concealed there an old Spanish dart.
Jealous and rash she struck like a flash,
And she stabbed him to the heart.
7. "What have you done, my pretty fair maid?
What have you done?" said he,
"For don't you see my own heart's blood
Comes trickling down to my knee?"
8. Then he tried to unbuckle his armor,
And he fell on the cold, cold ground.
Then her heart it did relent as o'er him she bent,
Trying vainly to staunch his wound.
9. "Oh, live, oh, live, young Henry," she cried,
"One half an hour for me,
And all the doctors in Yorkshire land
Shall be at the cure of thee."
10 "No, I can't live one hour for you;
Your jealousy has cost my life.
But I loved you better than any girl,
And I soon would have made you my wife."
11. Then she called to her maid-in-waiting;
"My secret I wish you to keep,
And I'll make of you a lady then;
On a downy couch you shall sleep."
12. Then one took him by the long yellow hair,
And the other one by the feet,
And they carried him away to the well water
Where it rains so cold and deep.
13. "Lie there, lie there, young Henry," she said,
Til the flesh rots off your bones,
And that Fanny girl in Yorkshire land
Looks long for your coming home."
14. Then up spoke his pretty polly,
Sitting on yon green willow tree,
"There never was a girl in Yorkshire land
That he loved as well as thee."
15. "Oh, come to me pretty, polly,
And sit all on my knee,
And your cage shall be lined with a yellow beaten gold,
And hung on the green willow tree."
16. "No, I won't come and I can't come,
And sit all on your knee,
For you have murdered your own true love,
And you might murder me!" **
17. "If I had my bow, arrow, ***
My bow, arrow and a string,
I would send a dart through your proud heart
So you could no more sing."
18. "If you had your bow, arrow,
Your bow, arrow and a string,
I'd fly away to yonder green,
And tell what I had seen."
19 With her heart like a stone, she stood there alone,
And she walked to the side of the well.
Soon she fainted and fell over sideways;
And down she fell, fell, fell.
** The last verse of this stanza was given verbally by Mr. Graham.
*** The first verse of this stanza was given verbally by Mr. Graham.