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LADY MARGARET (aka FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM) (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) ******

    





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