UK & other versions 7G. Early, Early by the Break of Day (The Two Lovers)
[This rare ballad is derived from Aa, "A new song called William and Nancy or The Two Hearts." Published by E. Hodges of 26 Grafton Street, Soho, London, c. 1855-1861. It appears in the Bodleian Library broadsides collection, shelfmark Firth b.25(433). A printing in Belfast, Ab, was made about the same time which was "sold wholesale by Alex Mayne, High-street, Belfast." The text was reprinted in Ulster Folklife - Volumes 29-33 - Page 2, 1987.
Only three texts have bee recovered from tradition:
B. "Early, Early" sung by Maria Doherty of Clooney, Magilligan (Ireland). From Sam Henry's collection., Huntington, 2010.
C. "The Two Hearts," sung by Geordie Robertson of Aberdeenshire in August 1954, recorded by Hamish Henderson- School of Scottish Studies.
D. "Early, Early, by the Break of Day" as sung Robert Cinnamond of County Antrim, Ireland, recorded by Robert Kennedy, 1955.
Of these three I am currently missing Cinnamond's version. The other two are short fragments of three and four stanzas. See main headnotes for details about the ballad.
R. Matteson 2017]
CONTENTS: (texts are attached to this page on left-hand column)
1) "A new song called William and Nancy or The Two Hearts." Published by E. Hodges of 26 Grafton Street, Soho, London, c. 1855-1861. It appears in the Bodleian Library broadsides collection, shelfmark Firth b.25(433).
2) "Early, Early" sung by Maria Doherty of Clooney, Magilligan (Ireland). From Sam Henry's collection., Huntington, 2010.
3) "The Two Hearts," sung by Geordie Robertson of Aberdeenshire in August 1954, recorded by Hamish Henderson- School of Scottish Studies.
4) "Early, Early, by the Break of Day" as sung Robert Cinnamond of County Antrim, Ireland, recorded by Robert Kennedy, 1955. [missing]
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Ulster Folklife - Volumes 29-33 - Page 2
A new song called William and Nancy
or,
The Two Hearts
(printed in Belfast c. 1856)
He is gone and left me in grief and woe,
And where to find him I do not know;
I'll search those green fields and valleys low,
If the hills were covered with frost and snow
What voice! what voice! is that I hear
It's like the voice of my Willy dear;
If I had wings love I'd fly to thee,
See what the force of true love can do.
There's one thing more that does grieve my mind,
My Willy dear has proved unkind,
For when he's crossing the Western shore,
He'll never think on his true-love more.
I wish I was now with my sweet-heart,
Sitting here alone it breaks my poor heart;
You have two sweet-hearts love, but I have none,
Pray grant me mine love, and keep your own.
Young men will come to you with a flattering tongue,
And tell they
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La Belle Dame Lyrics
The Month of January [related?]
trad. Irish
It was in the month of January
the hills were clad with snow.
When over hills and valleys
my darling, he did go.
I overheard a fair young maid
with a salt tear in her eye.
She had a baby in her arms
and bitterly she did cry.
Oh, cruel was my father,
he barred the door on me.
Cruel was my mother
this dreadful crime to see.
Cruel was my own sweetheart,
he changed his heart for gold.
And cruel was that wint’ry wind
that pierced my heart with cold.
For the taller that the pine tree grows
the sweeter is the bark.
And the fairer that a young man’s words
the falser is his heart.
For they’ll kiss you and caress you
till they think they have you won.
Then they’ll go away and leave you
all for some other one.
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A new song called William and Nancy
or,
The Two Hearts
It's early early by the break of day,
Down by the fields I chanc'd to stray.
I heard a fair maid both sign and say,
The lad I love is gone far away,
He's gone and left me in grief and woe,
And where to find him I do not know,
I'll search those green fields and vallies low,
If the hills were cover'd with frost & snow.
What voice, what voice is that I hear
It's like the voice of my Willy, dear,
If I had wings, I would fly to you,
See what the force of true love can do.
There's one thing more that's grieved my mind,
my Willy dear, has proved unkind,
For when he's crossing the western shore,
He'll ne'er think of his true love more.
Sitting here alone breaks my poor heart
You have two hearts now, but I have none,
Pray grant me mine love and keep your own
Young men will come to you with a flattering tongue,
And tell that they think they have you won,
They out of sight they see out of mine[1],
Listen to one but they'll prove unkind.
The laurel leaf shall be my bed
The highest angel guard my head
It's there I'll lie till the break of day
And pretty small birds around me play.
But if he had been true as me,
I'd not stay here, love in poverty,
Id sail to America where plenty flow,
And seek my fortune with my Willy O.