X:1
T:Tam Lynn
C:Trad
S:Learned from Bert Lloyd
N:from Phil Taylor <aar09@dial.pipex.com> abcusers 2002-10-31
M:4/4
K:Gm
DD | G2 (G^F) D2 DD | BAG^F G2 D2 |
w: La-dy Margret, La-dy Mar-gret sat sew-ing at her bower, and
d2 c2 A2 F2 | [M:7/8]c4 AB c | [M:4/4] d2 G2 F2 A2 |
w: she's all dressed in black, when* a thought come to~her she'd
G2 (G ^F) D2 DD | G2 G2 F2 A2 |
w: go to the woods, to pull flowers to flower her
[M:5/4] B{c}B G2  A4 B A | [M:4/4] G2 D2 F2 A2 | A{g}A G4 ||
w: hat,__ me* boys, to pull flowers to flower her hat___
W:
W: Lady Margret, Lady Margret sat sewing at her bower
W: And she's all dressed in black,
W: When a thought come to her she'd go to the woods
W: To pull flowers to flower her hat, me boys
W: To pull flowers to flower her hat.
W:
W: Then up there spoke a bold young man,
W: He was standing beside the tree,
W: He said "How dare you pull them branches down,
W: Without the leave of me, Lady,
W: Without the leave of me".
W:
W: "Now this little wood, it is my very own,
W: It was my Father that give it to me,
W: So now I can pull them branches down
W: Without the leave of thee, young man,
W: Without the leave of thee."
W:
W: He's taken her by the lily-white hand
W: And by the grass-green sleeve,
W: And he's pulled her down at the foot of the bush
W: And he never once asked her leave, me boys,
W: No he never once asked her leave.
W:
W: When all was done she's turned around
W: To ask this young man's name,
W: But nothing she saw and nothing she heard
W: And all those woods grew dim, me boys,
W: Oh all those woods grew dim.
W:
W: There were four and twenty ladies a-sitting in the hall
W: And they're red as any rose,
W: All excepting for young Lady Margaret,
W: An pale and wan she goes me boys,
W: And pale and wan she goes.
W:
W: There were four and twenty ladies a-sitting in the hall
W: And they're playing at the chess,
W: All excepting for young Lady Margaret,
W: She's as green as any glass, me boys,
W: She's as green as any glass.
W:
W: Then up and spake the little serving-girl
W: And she raised her arm and smiled,
W: She said "I think our lady has loved too much,
W: And now she goes with child, with child,
W: And now she goes with child.
W:
W: Then up and spake the second serving girl,
W: And ever alas cried she,
W: "I think I know a herb in the merry green wood
W: That will twine thy babe from thee, Lady,
W: That will twine thy babe from thee.
W:
W: So Margret she's taken up her silver comb,
W: Made haste to comb her hair,
W: And she's away to the merry green woods
W: As fast as she could tear, me boys,
W: As fast as she could tear.
W:
W: She had not pulled a leaf and a leaf,
W: A leaf but barely one,
W: When up there spoke the young Tam-a-Lynn
W: Saying "Margaret leave it alone, sweetheart,
W: Oh Margaret leave it alone."
W:
W: "What makes you to pull that bitter, bitter herb,
W: That herb that grows so grey,
W: If it's not to still that sweet baby
W: That we made in our play, my love,
W: That we made in our play."
W:
W: "Come tell to me, young Tam-a-Lyn" she says
W: "If a mortal man you be?"
W: "I tell you no lie, Lady Margaret" he says
W: "I was christened as good as thee, as thee,
W: I was christened as good as thee."
W:
W: "But as I rode out one bitter, bitter day,
W: It was from my horse I fell,
W: And the Queen of Elfin she bore me away
W: In yonder green wood to dwell, to dwell,
W: In yonder green wood to dwell."
W:
W: "But tonight it is the Halloween,
W: And the Elfin horde does ride,
W: So if you would save your own true love
W: By the old mill bridge you must hide, must hide,
W: By the old mill bridge you must hide."
W:
W: "And first will come the black horse, and then will come the brown,
W: And then speeds by the white,
W: And you'll fling your arms around my neck,
W: And I will not you afright, my love
W: I will not you afright."
W:
W: "And they will change me all in your arms,
W: Into many's the beast so wild,
W: But you'll hold me tight and fear me not,
W: I'm the father of your child, you know,
W: I'm the father of your child."
W:
W: So Margret she's taken up her silver comb,
W: Made haste to comb her hair,
W: And she's away to the old mill bridge
W: As fast as she could tear, me boys,
W: As fast as she could tear.
W:
W: Now it fell about the midnight hour,
W: When she heard the bridles ring,
W: And oh me boys, that chilled her heart,
W: More than any mortal thing it did,
W: More than any mortal thing.
W:
W: And first came by the black horse, and then came by the brown,
W: And then sped by the white,
W: And she's flung your arms around his neck,
W: And he did not her afright, me boys,
W: He did not her afright.
W:
W: And the thunder roared across the sky,
W: And the lightning flared like day
W: And the Queen of Elfin she gave a thrilling cry
W: Saying "Young Tam-a-Lynn's away, away,
W: Young Tam-a-Lynn's away."
W:
W: And the first thing they changed him all in her arms,
W: 'Twas a Lion that roared so wild.
W: But she held it tight, and feared it not,
W: It was the father of her child, she knew,
W: It was the father of her child.
W:
W: And the next thing they changed him all in her arms,
W: It was to a hissing snake,
W: But she held it tight and feared it not,
W: It was one of God's own make, she knew,
W: It was one of God's own make.
W:
W: And the next thing they changed him all in her arms,
W: 'Twas a bar of red-hot iron,
W: But she held it tight and feared it not,
W: And it done to her no harm, me boys,
W: No it done to her no harm.
W:
W: And the last thing they changed him all in her arms,
W: It was to a naked man.
W: And she held him tight and feared him not,
W: And cried "My Love I've won, I've won",
W: And cried "My Love I've won".
W:
W: Then up spake the Queen of Elfin from out of yonder tree,
W: And she's red as any blood.
W: "I should have torn out your eyes young Tam-a-Lynn," she says
W: "And put in two eyes of wood, of wood,
W: And put in two eyes of wood."