Young Magrove- Smith (KY) 1909 Sharp D
[My title. From Sharp/Campbell English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians I. Also in Sharp/Karpeles 1932, p. 161-182, versions A-Q. Notes from 1932 edition follow. Last verses missing.
Sharp was not in America in 1909. This was communicated by Campbell or more likely supplied to her or Sharp by Katherine Pettit or someone from the Hindman area. The problem with this version is Hilliard Smith's version was collected by both Wyman in 1916 and Sharp again in 1917 (see diary below). Both Sharp and Wyman's versions are the same (See text below at bottom), but this, the 1909 text, is radically different. Either Smith changed his text in the 7 year period or the text (perhaps it wasn't understood) from 1909 was from a different informant. The tunes are all similar enough to be from the same person.
In 1917 Sharp collected the first stanza (differing significantly) from Hillard Smith (see Young Magrove- Smith (KY) 1917 Sharp MS).
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
1932 Edition Notes: No. 23. Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard.
Texts without tunes:— Child s English and Scottish Popular Ballads, No. 81. Reed Smith's South Carolina Ballads, p. 125. Cox's Folk Songs of the South, p. 94. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxiii. 371; xxv. 182.
Texts with tunes:—Rimbault's Musical Illustrations of Percy's Reliques, p. 92. Chappel's Popular Music of the Olden Times, i. 170. Motherwell's Minstrelsy, Appendix, tune No. 21. W. R. Mackenzie's Ballads and Sea Songs of Nova Scotia, No. 8. Wyman and Brockway's Twenty Kentucky Mountain Songs, pp. 22 and 62. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxx. 309. British Ballads from Maine, p. 150. Davis's Traditional Ballads of Virginia, pp. 289 and 577.
Sharp diary 1917 page 271. Thursday 20 September 1917 - Hindman:
In the morning tramped out 4 miles to Mrs Webb Pratt who sang me 4 or 5 excellent tunes. Back to lunch with Bradley at his hotel and drinks at the drug store afterwards. In the afternoon I spent 2 or more hours with Hilliard Smith who gave me quite a lot of most interesting songs.
blue, The next came in Lord Van-ner's wife, The flow - er of the view.
1. The first came in were lily white,
The next were pink and blue,
The next came in Lord Vanner's wife,
The flower of the view.
2 This young Magrove a-being there,
Fair as the morning sun,
She looked at him and he looked at her,
The like was never known.
3 She stepped up to him and says:
Kind Sir, Won't you take a ride with me?
4 I dare not to, I dare not to,
I dare not to for my life ;
From the ring that you wear on your finger,
You are Lord Vanner's wife.
5 Well, if I am Lord Vanner's wife,
Lord Vanner is not at home,
Lord Vanner is to redemption gone,
To King McHenry's throne.
6 This little foot-page a-being by,
Hearing every word they said,
He swore Lord Vanner should have the news
Before the rising sun.
7 He run till he came to the river side,
And he jumped in and swam,
He swam and he swam to the other side,
And he rose and run.
8 He run till he: came to McHenry's throne,
He dingled so loud with the ring,
There's none so ready as Lord Vanner himself
To arise and let him in.
9 What news, what news? my little foot-page,
What news have you brought to me ?
Has any of casten walls fell down,
Or any of my men false be?
10 There's none of your casten walls fell down,
Nor none of your men false be.
This young Magrove is in fair Scotland
In bed with your lady.
11 If this be lie you bring to me,
As I believe it to be,
I'll build a gallow just for you,
And hangen you shall be.
12 If this be lie I bring to you
As you believe it to be,
You needn't build any gallows for me,
Just hang me on a tree.
13 Lord Vanner calling up his best men,
By one, by two, by three,
Saying: Let's take a trip to fair Scotland,
This happy couple for to see.
14 They rolled and they rolled all over the bed
Till they fell fast asleep,
And when they woke Lord Vanner was there
A-standing at their bed feet.
15 It's how do you like my blanket, sir?
It's how do you like my sheet?
How do you like that fair lady,
That lies in your arms asleep.
16 Very well I like your blanket, sir,
Very well I like your sheet,
Ten thousand times better I like this fair lady
Lies in my arms asleep.
17 Get up, get up, put on your clothes,
And fight me like a man;
Never should have been said in fair Scotland
I killed a naked man.
__________________________________
Lord Orland's Wife- Hilliard Smith, 1916 collected by Wyman, sent to Kittredge.
I. The first came in was a gay ladye;
The next came in was a girl;
The third came in was Lord Orland's wife,
The fairest of them all.
2. Little Mathew Grew was standing by;
She placed her eyes on him:
"Go up with me, Little Mathew Grew,
This livelong night we'll spend."
3. "I can tell by the ring that's on your finger
You are Lord Orland's wife."
"But if I am Lord Orland's wife,
Lord Orland is not at home."
4. The little footpage was standing by,
Heard all that she did say:
"Your husband sure will hear these words
Before the break of day."
5. He had sixteen miles to go,
And ten of them he run;
He run till he came to the broken bridge,
He smote his breast and swum.
6. He ran till he came to Lord Orland's hall,
He ran till he came to the gate,
He rattled those bells and he rung:
"Awake, Lord Orland, awake!"
7. "What's the matter, what's the matter, little footpage?
What's the news you bring to me?"
"Little Mathew Grew's in the bed with your wife;
It's as true as anything can be."
8. "If this be a lie," Lord Orland he said,
"That you have brought to me,
I'll build a scaffold on the king's highway,
And hanged you shall be."
9. "If this be a lie I bring to you,
Which you're taking it to be,
You need not build a scaffold on the king's highway,
But hang me to a tree."
10. At first they fell to hugging and kissing,
At last they fell to sleep;
All on the next morn when they awoke,
Lord Orland stood at their bed feet.
11. "0 how do you like my curtains fine?
O how do you like my sheets?
O how do you like my gay ladye,
That lies in your arms asleep?"
12. "Very well I like your curtains fine,
Very well I like your sheets;
Much better I like your gay ladye,
That lies in my arms and sleeps."
13. "Get up, get up, little Mathew Grew,
And prove your words to be true.
I'll never have it for to say
A naked man I slew."
14. The first lick struck little Mathew Grew struck,
Which caused an awful wound;
The next lick struck Lord Orland struck,
And laid him on the ground.
15. "O how do you like my curtains fine?
O how do you like my sheets?
O how do you like little Mathew Grew,
That lies on the ground and sleeps?"
16. "Very well I like your curtains fine,
Very well I like your sheets;
Much better I like little Mathew Grew,
That lies on the ground and sleeps."