The Huntsman

The huntsman blew loud on his horn blew loud on his horn
And all that he blew it was lost and gone was lost and gone
Tarrio sa sa ti ra la la and all that he blew it was lost and gone

He cast his net the bush about the bush about
A nut brown girl jumped quickly out jumped quickly out
Tarrio sa sa ti ra la la a nut brown girl jumped quickly out

Oh nut brown girl don’t you run away don’t run away
My hounds they will run and they’ll howl and bay they’ll howl and bay
Tarrio sa sa ti ra la la my hounds they will run and they’ll howl and bay

Your hounds may run but they’ll catch me not they’ll catch me not
I’ll run through fields and I’ll never stop I’ll never stop
Tarrio sa sa ti ra la la I’ll run through fields and I’ll never stop

My hounds will win and you know full well you know full well
For they long for the sound of your funeral bell your funeral bell
Tarrio sa sa ti ra la la they long for the sound of your funeral bell

Well if I die the I’ll be dead then I’ll be dead
Bury me under the roses red the roses red
Tarrio sa sa ti ra la la and bury me under the roses red

And on her grave the rose grew tall the rose grew tall
A squire rode by for to pick them all to pick them all
Tarrio sa sa ti ra la la a squire rode by for to pick them all

Oh squire oh squire let the roses stand the roses stand
They are for a better young huntsman’s hand, the huntsman’s hand
Tarrio sa sa ti ra la la they are for a better young huntsman’s hand

Mad Family

Oh there was a mad man and he had a mad wife
They lived in London town
And they had children one two three
And mad they were each one brave boys
Mad they were each one

Oh father was mad and mother was mad
Children were mad besides
And they all jumped on to a mad mad horse
And so madly they did ride brave boys
So madly they did ride

Oh they rode all night and they rode all day
Never a one of them fell
They rode so madly all of the way
Til they came to the gates of hell brave boys
They came to the gates of hell

The devil was glad for to see then so mad
He kindly led them in
But he soon grew mad for to see them so glad
So he led them out again brave boys
He led them out again

Two Brothers

Two little boys were coming from school
One evening going home
Says the eldest to the littlest boy
Oh can you throw a stone?
Oh can you throw a stone?

Oh I can neither throw a stone
Little can I play at the ball
But if you’ll come to the good greenwood
We will try a wrestling fall
We’ll try a wrestling fall

So they’ve gone down to the good greenwood
To try a wrestling fall
Big brother John took a little penknife
And stabbed William to the ground
Stabbed William to the ground

Oh you’ll take off your white linen shirt
And tear it from gore to gore
Tie it all around the wound
So the blood may flow no more
The blood may flow no more

So he’s took of his white linen shirt
He tore it from gore to gore
Tied it all around the wound
But the blood flowed ten times more
the blood flowed ten times more

Oh what’ll I tell your father dear
Tonight when I get home?
Tell him I’m away to school
And a good boy I’ll return
A good boy I’ll return

And what’ll I tell your stepmother
Tonight when I get home?
Tell her the last thing she wished of me
Was that I might never return
I might never return

The Looking Glass

The Queen was in her chamber and she was middling old
Her petticoat was satin and her stomacher was gold
Backward and forward and sideways did she pass
Making up her mind to face the cruel looking glass
The cruel looking glass that will never show a lass
As comely or as kindly or as young as what she was

The Queen was in her chamber a combing of her hair
Up came Queen Mary’s spirit and it stood behind her chair
Singing  backward and forward and sideways may you pass
But I will stand behind you til you face the looking glass
The cruel looking glass that will never show a lass
As lovely or unlucky or as lonely as I was

The Queen was in her chamber a weeping very sore
Up came Lord Leicester’s spirit and it scratched upon the door
Singing backward and forward and sideways may you pass
But I will walk behind you til you face the looking glass
The cruel looking glass that will never show a lass
As hard or unforgiving or as wicked as you was

The Queen was in her chamber her sins were on her head
She looked the spirits up and down and stately she said
Backward and forward and sideways I have been
But I am Henry’s daughter and I am England’s Queen
And then she faced the looking glass and whatever else there was
She saw her day was over and she saw her beauty passed
In the cruel looking glass that will always hurt a lass
More hard than any ghost there is or any man that was

Little Yellow Roses

I lay on my back with the sun in my eyes
Soon I will know what no living man knows
All of my life’s been a fight against lies
Death brings the truth and it’s my turn to know

Send my mother a lock of my hair
Send my father the watch that he gave me
Tell my brother to follow me if he dare
Tell them I’m lost now and no one can save me
Remember, remember send my love little yellow roses

My father taught me that all men were equal
Whatever colour religion or land
Taught me to fight for the things I believed in
This I have done with a gun in my hand

I met my love in a garden of roses
She pricked her finger how sharp the thorn grows
We made a promise that ‘til death did part us
We’d never look on that wild yellow rose

The Banks of the Nile

Hark I hear the drums a beating and love I must away
I hear the bugle calling me I can no longer stay
We are bound don to Portsmouth town its many’s a weary mile
To join the British army on the banks of the Nile

William dearest William don’t leave me here to mourn
You’ll make me curse and rue the day that ever I was born
I will cut off my curly locks and come away with you
I’ll dress me self in velveteen and go to Egypt too

Nancy lovely Nancy with me you cannot go
Our colonel’s given orders no women are to go
We must forget our own sweethearts all on our native isle
And fight for King and Country on the banks of the Nile

Oh cursed be the wars my love and how they first began
For they have robbed old Ireland of many’s a brave young man
They’ve taken our own sweethearts all from our native Isle
And their bodies lie a mouldering on the banks of the Nile

When the wars are over its home we will return
Back to our wives and our sweethearts we left behind at home
We’ll roll them in our arms all for a little while
And go no more to battle on the banks of the Nile

Kemp Owen

Her mother died when she was young
Which gave her cause to grieve and mourn
Her father married the very worst woman
That ever lived in Christendom

She served her stepmother night and day
In everything that she could do
Till once when in a fit of rage
She threw her over a crag of the sea

Saying lie you there young Isabelle
And all my sorrows lie with thee
Till Kemp Owen shall come to the crag
And break this spell with kisses three

Her breath grew strong and her hair grew long
Twisted three times round the tree
And all the people far and near
Thought that a savage beast was she

And how she cried for Kemp Owen
That he might come but near to her hand
And word has gone to Kemp Owen
That such a beast was in his land

So he has built a bonny boat
Set it sailing on the sea
But before he reached a mile from the land
The beast has set the red fire free

So he has taken up his bow
And he’s aimed an arrow at her head
Swore if she’d not quit the land
With that same shaft he would shoot her dead

Oh I’ll not rise out of my den
Though it is not for fear of thee
Till Kemp Owen the King’s own son
Shall come to the crag and kiss with me

Her breath was strong and her hair was long
Twisted three times round the tree
And away she swam again she came
Singing come to the crag and kiss with me

Oh I have a royal sword she said
That I found in the salt salt sea
And while your body it is on
Drawn shall your blood never be
But if you touch me tail or fin
I swear your death this sword shall be

He leaned him over Eastmoor crag
And about the tree she came with a swing
He stepped in gave her a kiss
And the royal sword he has brought with him

Her breath was strong and her hair was long
Twisted twice about the tree
And away she swam again she came
Singing come to the crag and kiss with me

Oh I have a royal belt she said
That I found in the salt salt sea
And while your body it is on
Drawn shall your blood never be
But if you touch me tail or fin
I swear your death this belt shall be

He leaned him over Eastmoor crag
And about the tree she came with a swing
He stepped in gave her a kiss
And the royal belt he has brought with him

Her breath was strong her hair was long
Twisted once about the tree
And away she swam again she came
Singing come to the crag and kiss with me

Oh I have a royal ring she said
That I found in the salt salt sea
And while your body it is on
Drawn shall your blood never be
But if you’ll touch me tail or fin
I swear your death this ring shall be

He leaned him over Eastmoor crag
And about the tree she came with a swing
He stepped in gave her a kiss
And the royal ring he brought with him

Her breath grew sweet her hair grew short
Twisted no more round the tree
And away she swam again she came
The fairest woman that you ever did see

Oh was it a werewolf of the wood
Was it a mermaid on the sea
Was it a man or a vile witch woman
My own true love that misshaped thee?

Oh it was not a werewolf of the wood
Nor was it a mermaid on the sea
But it was my own stepmother
A cruel and wicked woman is she

A heavy curse will light her on
Her hair will grow rough her teeth grow long
And on her four feet she shall crawl
All alone condemned to be
And in the Wormeswood she will dwell
And of this spell she will never go free

The Grey Goose and Gander

The grey goose and gander went over yon hill
The grey goose went barefoot for fear of being seen
For fear of being seen me boys by the light of the moon
Rise early tomorrow morning all in the same tune

The blacksmith is black but his money is white
He drinks in the alehouse from morning till night
From morning till night me boys by the light of the moon
Rise early tomorrow morning all in the same tune

Our landlord got drunk and his reckoning forgot
So we pulled down his signpost and broke all his pots
We broke all his pots me boys by the light of the moon
Rise early tomorrow morning all in the same tune

The shepherd is happy abroad on his down
He would not change his life for a sceptre and crown
A sceptre and crown me boys by the light of the moon
Rise early tomorrow morning all in the same tune

The gentlemen took the ladies the hounds for to view
The gentlemen to the ladies said how do you do?
Said how do you do? me boys by the light of the moon
Rise early tomorrow morning all in the same tune

The Shepherd’s Daughter

It’s of a Shepherd’s daughter tending sheep on yonder hill
A roving blade came a riding by and swore he’d have his will
If you should have your will of me pray tell to me your name
So when my baby it is born I might call him the same

Oh some they call me Jack he said and some they call me John
But when I’m in the king’s own court my name is Sweet William
He mounted on his milk white stead and away from her did ride
She’s lifted up her petticoats and run close by his side

She ran till she came to the riverside she fell on her belly and swam
She swam till she came to the other side took to her heels and ran
She ran till she came to the King’s own court and boldly pulled the ring
And none were so ready as the king himself to let this fair maid in

What brings you here my pretty fair maid what brings you here says he?
Its of a knight in your own court this day has robbed me
What has he robbed you of fair maid has he stolen all your fee
No he’s robbed me of my maidenhead that my mother has give to me

Well if he be a married man then its hanged he shall be
But if he be a single man his body I’ll give to thee
And he called down his merry men all by one by two by three
Sweet William he came last of all when first he used to be

And he pulled out a handful of gold he put it all in a glove
Take this take this my pretty fair miss go seek for another true love
Oh I’ll not have any of your gold nor any of your fee
But I will take your sweet body that the King has granted me

He mounted on a milk white stead and she upon another
They rode along the King’s highway like sister and like brother
They rode till they came to the first fair town he bought her a gay gold ring
And when they got to the next fair town he gave her a gay wedding

Well I wish I were drinking a bath of water instead of drinking wine
Before an old shepherd’s daughter would have been a bride of mine
I wish I were drinking white wine instead of drinking red
Before an old shepherd’s daughter would bring me to my wedding bed

King Henry

King Henry was King James’ son
And oh the royal race was run
Upon his breast he wears a star
Ride away to the ocean far

Chose to the east and choose to the west
And chose the one that you love best
If they’re not there to take their part
Chose another with all your heart

Down on this carpet you shall kneel
As sure as the grass grows in the field
Halleluiah bright and a kiss so sweet
Here’s to rise up on your feet

Ride to the east and ride to the west
And ride to the one that you love best
If they’re not there to take their part
Ride to another with all your heart