False Sir John

X:102
T:False Sir John
T:Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
C:Trad
B:Bronson
O:Kentucky Mountain Songs, Elektra, LP rec. 25. Sung by
O:Jean Ritchie, I954; learned from family tradition.
N:First bar given as: d |d d2 g>e | (which doesn't add up)
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:Gmix % Hexatonic ( -4) irregular
d |d2 g>e | d d/B/ HG d |
w:False Sir John a-woo-ing* came To~a
d d g f | d3 d | d d "(a)"g e | d d/B/ G3/ G/ |
w:la-dy young and fair. May Col-vin was this la-dy's* name, Her
B B A G | B3 D | B B A B/A/ | G3 |]
w:fath-er's on-ly heir, Her fath-er's on-ly* heir.
%"(a)"g g/e/ ||"(a)"g3/ e/ ||
W:
W:False Sir John a-wooing came
W:To a lady young and fair.
W:May Colvin was this lady's name,
W:Her father's only heir,
W:Her father's only heir.
W:
W:He wooed her while she spun the thread
W:And while they made the hay,
W:Until he gained her low consent
W:To mount and ride away,
W:To mount and ride away.
W:
W:"It's bring me some of your father's gold
W:And some of your mother's fee.
W:I'll take thee to some far-off land
W:And there I'll marry thee,
W:And there I'll marry thee."
W:
W:She's gone unto her father's coffer,
W:Where all of his monies lay;
W:She's took the yellow and left the white
W:And lightly skipped away,
W:And lightly skipped away.
W:
W:She's gone unto her father's stables,
W:Where all of his steeds did stand;
W:She's took the best and left the worst
W:In all her father's land,
W:In all her father's land.
W:
W:She's mounted on a milk-white steed
W:And he on a dapple gray;
W:And they rode till they come to a lonesome spot,
W:A cliff by the side of the sea,
W:A cliff by the side of the sea.
W:
W:"Light down, light down," said False Sir John;
W:"Your bridal bed you'll see:
W:It's seven women have I drownded here
W:And the eighth one you shall be,
W:And the eighth one you shall be.
W:
W:"Have off, have off your Holland smock
W:With borders all around,
W:For it's too costly to lav down here
W:And rot on the cold, cold ground,
W:And rot on the cold, cold ground."
W:
W:"Turn around, turn around, thou False Sir John,
W:And look at the leaves on the tree.
W:It don't become a gentleman
W:A naked woman to see,
W:A naked woman to see."
W:
W:Oh, False Sir John has turned around
W:To gaze at the leaves on the tree;
W:She's made a dash with her tender little arms
W:And pushed him into the sea,
W:And pushed him into the sea.
W:
W:"Oh, help! oh, help! May Colvin!
W:Oh, help, or I shall drown!
W:I'll take you back to your father's house
W:And lightly set you down,
W:And lightly set you down."
W:
W:"No help, no help," said May Colvin,
W:"No help will you get from me.
W:The bed's no colder to you, sir,
W:Than you thought to give to me,
W:Than you thought to give to me."
W:
W:She mounted on the milk-white steed
W:And led the dapple gray,
W:And rode till she come to her father's house
W:At the breaking of the day,
W:At the breaking of the day.
W:
W:Then up and spoke the little parrot,
W:Said: "May Colvin, where have you been?
W:And what have you done with False Sir John
W:That went with you ridin',
W:That went with you ridin'?"
W:
W:"Oh, hold your tongue, you little parrot
W:And tell no tales on me,
W:And I'll buy you a cage of beaten gold
W:With spokes of ivory,
W:With spokes of ivory."

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