X:1
T:The Flower of Serving Men
B: Purslow, F, (1972), The Constant Lovers, EDFS, London
S:Albert Doe, Bartley, Hants, December 1908
Z:Hammond Hp 1322
M:3/2     %Meter
L:1/8     %
K:D
D2 |G2 B B A4 F2 (FE) |D2 D2 D (DD4)
w:My fa-ther he built me a_ shad-y bow-er_
 D2 |FG A2 (e3B) c2 d2 | B2 B2 A A3 z2
w:And co-ver'd it o--ver with sham-rock flow-ers;
A2 |B2 d2 (d3B) c2 d2 |B B B2 A4 z2
w: The fin-est bow_ er that ev-er I see,
d2 |B2 A2 (F3E) D2 (FE) | D2 D2 D6 z2 |]
w:My ag-ed fa--ther he_ built for me
W:My father he built me a shady bower,
W:And cover'd it over with shamrock flowers.
W:The finest bower that ever I see,
W:My aged father he built for me.
W:
W:My father he married me to a noble knight,
W:My mother she ow'd me a dreadful spite;
W:She sent nine robbers all in one night,
W:To rob my bower and slay my knight.
W:
W:How could she have done me a bigger harm
W:To murder my babies all in my arms?
W:Left nothing at all for to wrap them in,
W:But the bloody sheets that my Love died in.
W:
W:All alone, all alone then I will wash them,
W:All alone, all then I will bury them;
W:Cut off my hair and I'll change my name,
W:From Fair Eleanor to Sweet William.
W:
W:I will saddle my horse and away I'll ride,
W:Till I come to where some fair king do reside,
W:To one of his servants I'll give a gay gold ring,
W:To carry a message unto the King.
W:
W:"It's do you want either cook or groom,
W:Or do you want any stableman?
W:Do you want a manservant all in your hall.
W:To wait on the nobles when they do call?"
W:
W:"It's we don't want neither cook nor groom,
W:Nor we don't want ne'er a stableman;
W:But we wants a manservant all in our hall,
W:To wait on the nobles when they do call."
W:
W:Not very long after it happen'd so,
W:The young King and his nobles did a-hunting go,
W:Left no-one at all but a gay old man,
W:To keep company with Sweet William.
W:
W:And when she thought she was all alone,
W:Took down her fiddle and play'd a tune:
W:"Once my love was a rich, noble knight,
W:And me myself was a lady bright."
W:
W:Then bye and bye this young King came home,
W:"What news, what news, oh! my gay old man?"
W:"Good news, good news, oh! my Lord," said he,
W:"Your servant man is a gay lady."
W:
W:"Go and fetch me down, then, a pair of stays,
W:That I might lace up her slender waist,
W:Go and fetch me down that gay gown of green,
W:That I might dress her up much like my Queen."
W:
W:"Oh no. Oh! no. Oh! my Lord", said she.
W:"Pay me my wages and I'll go free,
W:For I never heard tell of a stranger thing,
W:As a servantman to become a queen."
W: