FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM (aka LADY MARGARET)
(Traditional - British)
Pete Seeger - 1957
Jean Ritchie - 1961
Buffy Sainte-Marie - 1966
Shirley Collins - 1967
Trees - 1970
Sally Rogers - 1979
Rick Lee - 1995
Tim O'Brien - 1999
Amps For Christ - 1999
Debra Cowan & Acie Cargill - 2001
The Mammals - 2002
June Tabor - 2003
Cassie Franklin (feat. in the film "Cold Mountain") - 2003
Also recorded by: Hedy West; Baltimore Consort;
Art Thieme; John & Mary; Gordeanna McCulloch.
Sweet William rose one morning bright
And dressed himself in blue
"Come tell to me the long lost love
Between Lady Margaret and you"
"I know no harm of Lady Margaret," said he
"And I hope she knows none of me
But tomorrow morning before eight o'clock
Lady Margaret my bride shall be"
As Lady Margaret was in her chamber high
A-combing up her hair
She spied sweet William and his bride
As they to the church drew near
She threw down her ivory comb
And tossed back her hair
And from the room a fair lady came
That was seen in there no more
The day being gone and the night being come
When most men were asleep
Sweet William spied Lady Margaret's ghost
A-standing at his bed feet
"How do you like your bed?" she said
"And how do you like your sheet?
And how do you like the fair lady
That lies in your arms asleep?"
"Very well do I like my bed," said he
"Very well do I like my sheet
But better do I like the fair lady
That is standing at my bed feet"
The night being gone and the day being come
When most men were awake
Sweet William said he was troubled in his head
From a dream he had last night
He called his weary waiting maids
By one, by two, by three
And last of all, with his bride's consent
Lady Margaret he went to see
He went unto the parlor door
He knocked until he made things ring
But none was so ready as her own dear brother
To arise and let him in
"Is Lady Margaret in the parlour?" said he
"Or is she in the hall
Or is she in her chamber high
Among the gay ladies all?"
"Lady Margaret is not in the parlour," said he
"She is neither in the hall
She is in her coffin
And a-lying by the wall"
"Tear down, tear down, those milk white sheets
They are made of silk so fine
That I may kiss Lady Margaret's cheek
For ofttimes she has kissed mine"
The first that he kissed was her rosy cheek
The next was her dimpled chin
The last of all was her clay-cold lips
That pierced his heart within
"Tear down, tear down those milk white sheets
They are made of silk so fine
Today they hang around Lady Margaret's corpse
And tomorrow they will hang around mine"
Lady Margaret died of pure, pure love
Sweet William died of sorrow
They are buried in one burying ground
Both side and side together
Out of her grave grew a red rose
And out of his a briar
They grew in a twining true lover's knot
The rose and the green briar
******
ALTERNATE VERSION (1):
Lady Margaret sitting in her high hall door
Combing her long yellow hair
Saw sweet William and his new-made Bride
Riding from the church so near
She throwed down her ivory comb
Throwed back her long yellow hair
Said I'll go down to bid him farewell
And never more go there
It was all lately in the night
When they were fast asleep
Lady Margaret appeared all dressed in white
Standing at their bed feet
How do you like your pillow said she
How do you like your sheet
And how do you like that fair young lady
Lying in your arms asleep
Very well do I like my pillow says he
Very well do I like my sheet
But better do I like that fair young maiden
Standing at my bed feet
Once he kissed her lily white hand
Twice he kissed her cheek
Three times he kissed her cold corpsey lips
And fell in her arms asleep
Is Lady Magraret in her room?
Or is she in the hall?
No, Lady Margaret's in her cold black coffin
With her pale face to the wall
******
ALTERNATE VERSION (2):
Lady Margaret sitting in her own lone home
Alone, O all alone
When she thought she heard a dismal cry
She heard a deadly moan
"Is it my father Thomas?" she said
"Or is it my brother John?
Or is it my love, my own dear Willie
Come home to me again?"
"I am not your father Thomas," he said
"Nor am I your brother John
But I am your love, your own dear Willie
Come home to you again"
"Then where are the red and rosy cheeks
That even in winter bloom?
And where are the long and yellow hair
Of the love I lost too soon?"
"The ground have rotten them off, my dear,
For the worms are quick and free
And when you're so long lying in your grave
The same will happen thee"
He took her by the lily-white hand
And begged her company
He took her by her apron band
Says, "Follow, follow me"
She took her underskirts one by one
And wrapped them above her knee
And she's over the hills on a winter's night
In a dead man's company
They walked, they walked to the old churchyard
Where the grass grow grassy-green
"Here's the home where I live now
The bed I do lie in"
"Is there any room at your head, my love?
Is there any room at your feet?
Is there any room about you at all
For me to lie down and sleep?"
"My father is at my head, dear girl
My mother is at my feet
Upon my heart are three hell-hounds
Bound my soul to keep
One is for my drunkenness
And another is for my pride
And one is for promising a pretty fair girl
That she should be my bride"
She took the cross from all on her bosom
And smoted him on the breast
"Here's your token I kept so long
God send you a happy rest"
"Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, my love
Farewell, dear girl" said he
"If ever the dead may pray for the living
My love, I'll pray for thee"
******
ALTERNATE VERSION (3):
Prince William he courted Lady Margaret falr
Determined to make her his wife
They differed about a small trifle
Which caused them both their life
Prince William he a-hunting went
A-hunting for a deer
But who should he meet but Margaret sweet
A-walkin' to take the air
He said that "I'm no man for you
And you're no girl for me
Before three merry merry more days
My wedding you shall see"
She said: "If I'm no girl for you
And you're no man for me
Before three merry merry more days
My funeral you shall see"
Lady Margaret she sat at her bowery window
A-combing out her hair
She saw Prince William and his bride pass by
To a church they did repair
Lady Margaret she threw down her ivory comb
And tossed back her yellow hair
She threw herself out of her bowery window
And was seen alive no more
Prince William he dreamed a troublesome dream
His dream it was not good
He dreamed that his bowery was on fire
And Margaret lay covered with blood
Prince William arose and away he went
And knocked at the ring
There was none so ready as Margaret's brother
To arise and let him in
It was "How do you do" and "How do you do"
And "How does fair Margaret do?"
"Fair Margaret is dead, lying on her cold bed
And she died for the love of you"
"Go roll away the winding sheet
That I may view the dead
Tbat I may kiss those cold pale lips
That once were cherry red
"I'll kiss those cold pale lips again
So they never will smile on me
I made a vow by the powers above
I'd marry none but she"
Lady Margaret she died on that same day
Prince William he died on the morrow
Lady Margaret she died of pure love alone
Prince William he died of sorrow
Lady Margaret was buried by the salt sea side
Prince William he was buried by her
And out of Lady Margaret's grave sprung a red rose
And out of Prince William's a brier
They grew so high, they grew so tall
They reached the mountain top
They grew so high and they grew so tall
They tied in a true lover's knot
Now all young people as you pass by
And see where these two lovers do sleep
Remember that pure love is better than gold
Though many many die for its sake
******
VARIOUS ALTERNATE VERSES:
Lady Margaret was going to her high bower
All for to comb her hair
She saw Sweet William and his Bride
A-going to church for prayers
She first threw down her ivory comb
Tied up her long yellow hair
And out of this door went this Lady gay
To never return anymore
Now late that night when William was in bed
And most all men was asleep
Of her love I can't say on this morning in May
For I don't think that she loves me
And tomorrow early morn I'll ride to the church
Lady Margaret my Bride shall see
Lady Margaret was sitting in her high sewing room
She was combing back her long yellow hair
She saw Sweet William and his Bride
As they to the church did repair
He called his merry men to his side
And he counted "One, two, three"
And the last one of them "Go ask of my Bride,
Lady Margaret I might go and see?"
Well, he rode and he rode to Lady Margaret's home
Well I know that I can't have Lady Margaret's love
I know that she don't love me
But tomorrow morning at eight o'clock
Lady Margaret my Bride shall see
Lady Margaret sat in her own hollow
A-combin' down her hair
When she saw Sweet William come riding by
******
As recorded by CASSIE FRANKLIN:
Lady Margaret was standing in her own room door
A combin' her long yellow hair
When who did she spy but sweet William and his Bride
As to the churchyard they drew near
The day passed away and night coming on
Most of the men were asleep
Lady Margaret appeared all dressed in white
Standing at his bed feet
She said "How do you like your bed?
And how do you like your sheet?
And how do you like your fair, young bride
That's laying in your arms asleep?"
He said "Very well do I like my bed
Much better do I like my sheet
But most of all that fair, young girl
That's standing at my bed feet"
Then once he kissed her lily white hand
Twice he kissed her cheek
Three times he kissed her cold corpsey lips
Then he fell into her arms asleep
Well the night passed away, the day came on
And into the morning light
Sweet William said "I'm troubled in my head
By the dreams that I dreamed last night
Such dreams, such dreams as these
I know they mean no good
For I dreamed that my bower was full of red swine
And my bride's bed full of blood"
He asked "Is Lady Margaret in her room?
Or is she out in the hall?"
But Lady Margaret lay in a cold, black coffin
With her face turned to the wall
Throw back, throw back those snow white robes
Be they ever so fine
And let me kiss those cold corpsey lips
For I know they'll never kiss mine
Then once he kissed her lily white hand
And twice he kissed her cheek
Three times he kissed her cold corpsey lips
Then he fell into her arms asleep
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - November 2005)
******
