Lady Margret

Cat. #0587 (MFH #364) - As sung by Almeda Riddle, Heber Springs, Arkansas on October 23, 1965

VERSE 1
Now, what we gon'na do, Lady Margret, he said
Well, what can we do, said she
Before tommorows sun shall set
Lord Williams new bride you will see-e-e
Lord Williams new bride will see

VERSE 2
Lady Margret set in her high hall wind'a
Just a comb'in out 'er yellow hair
An' along came William from th church nearby
Leading his bride so fair-air
Leading his bride so fair

VERSE 3
Now, she threw down that ivory comb
And back she tossed 'er hair
And down she fell from 'er high hall win-dow
Never more was seen there-ere
Never more was seen there

VERSE 4
Now, day is down an' th night comes on
And th people all are asleep
Lady Margret arose from her coffin cold
Weeping at Williams bed feet-eet
Weeping at Williams bed feet

VERSE 5
An' how do you like your bed mak'in
An' it's how do you like your sheet
An' it's how do you like that new made bride
There in your arms a sleep-eep-eep
Lying there looking so sweet

VERSE 6
An' it's well that I like my bed mak'in
Well, that I like my sheet
But better would I like my ole true love
Here in my arms asleep-eep-eep
Not weeping at my bed feet

VERSE 7
What a dream, what an awful dream, he cried
I fear it means no good
I dreamed this room was full of tears
An' my bride drowned in bloo-ood-ood
My bride all drowned in blood

VERSE 8
Then, he called down his waiting men
By one, an' two, an' three
Go ask me leave of my new made bride
Lady Margret I must see-ee-ee
Lady Margret I must see

VERSE 9
If you go back t' your Lady Margret
Then what will become of me,
I won't be gone but an hour or two
An' I, will return to th-ee-ee
Then'd I'll be true to thee

VERSE 10
O, is she in yon bowery room
Or out there in her hall
Or is she in her chambery
A Lady among them all-ll-ll
Lady Margrets th fairest of all

VERSE 11
No, she's not in her bowery room
Nor is she in her hall
Lady Margret lies in th coffin cold
Out there in th main hall-ll-ll
Her face turned to th wall

VERSE 12
Take off, take off that coffin lid
Turn back that shroud so fine
An' let me kiss those dead cold lips
In life, she's of'en kissed mi-ine-ine
In life, she's of'en kissed mine

VERSE 13
Then th Father took off th coffin lid
N'd th brother turned back th sheet
Three times he kissed th dead cold lips
Fell dead right at 'er fee-eet-eet
Lay dead at Margrets feet

VERSE 14
Lady Margret, we buried in th old church yard
Lord William, we buried a nigh her
From Margrets heart grew a green bri-i-er
From Lord Williams heart a green brier

VERSE 15
An' they grew, an' they grew to th top o' th wall
Then they couldn't grow any higher
They fell down to th cold, cold ground
But that rose still clung to the bri-i-er
An' the rose embraced th brier

The noise you hear starting about the sixth verse is, acorns falling on the roof of the house.

Variants