Lady Margaret- Riddle (Ark.) c.1970 Wolfe Collection
[From Wolf Collection and also Max Hunter Collection: two versions from the excellent singer Almeda Riddle. The version for 1965 at the bottom of this page was recorded by Max Hunter in 1965.
The song also appears in Almeda's book, "A Singer and her Songs" 1970. In the book she says she has pieced together a version she heard "fifty, or perhaps sixty years ago."
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
INTERVIEW WITH ALMEDA RIDDLE- Recorded in Timbo, AR April 18, 1970
Mullins: "This is Randall Mullins of the Southwestern at Memphis folklore class. It's April 18, 1970, and we're in the living room of the home of Jimmy Driftwood just outside Timbo, Arkansas. We're in the midst of the Mountain View folk festival; Timbo is just outside Mountain View. And we're going to be interviewing here Ms. Almeda Riddle. She's from Heber Springs, Arkansas, and we're going to ask her a few questions, and then she's going to sing for us. Ms. Riddle, how long have you been singing?"
Riddle: "Well, approximately . . . I don't remember. I remember that I've been singing for fifty-six years. How long before that I don't know. Oh, let's go back a little. Sixty-six years. Sixty-six years."
Mullins: "So we're going to get someone that's really got quite some experience in this type of singing. Where were you born and raised, Ms. Riddle?"
Riddle: "In Cleburne County, Arkansas. Here in Arkansas in Cleburne County."
Mullins: "In Cleburne County here in Arkansas. And who would you say influenced you the most with your music, which you've become quite well known for?"
Riddle: "My father. My father was a singing teacher."
Mullins: "And he just brought it right on down to you."
Riddle: "That's right. My father taught me my notes. I knew my notes before I did my letters."
Mullins: "Very good. Could you tell us something about . . . maybe what you've recorded and just, in general, what kind of singing you've been doing and so forth, just very briefly, if you'd like to."
Riddle: "I do traditional ballads. I like mostly the Child ballads. . . . 'The Four Marys,' 'The House Carpenter's Wife,' and 'The Wife at Usher's Well,' and that type of things."
LADY MARGARET (FAIR MARGARET AND SWEET WILLIAM) Sung by: Almeda Riddle; The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection
[Listen: upcoming]
(Comment by Mrs. Riddle: “I had the mumps a few weeks ago, and it almost ruined . . . I’m not completely over it. My, I couldn’t use my voice for quite a while. I had first tonsillitis and then mumps, until I . . . It’s gonna crack up on this one, maybe.”)
“Now, what will we do, Lady Margaret,” he said,
And "What can we do,” cried he,
“For before tomorrow’s sun goes down,
Lord William’s new bride you must see;
Lord William’s bride you’ll see.”
Then Lady Margaret sat in her high hall window,
Combing out her yellow hair,
And along came William from the church so near,
Leading his bride so fair,
Leading his bride so fair.
Now she threw down that ivory comb,
And back she tossed her hair,
And down she fell from her high hall window,
Nevermore didn’t go there,
Nevermore to go there.
When day was done, and the night came on,
The people lay asleep.
Lady Margaret arose from a coffin cold,
Stood weeping by William’s bed feet,
Just weeping by William’s bed feet.
“And it’s how do you like that bed making,
And it’s how do you like your sheet?
And it’s how do you like your new made bride,
There in your arms asleep,
Lying there looking so sweet?”
“And it’s well that I like this bed making,
And it’s well do I like my sheet,
But it’s better would I like were my own love,
Here in my arms asleep,
Not weeping at my bed feet.”
Then he called down his waiting men,
By one and two and three.
“Go bring me leave for my new made bride.
Lady Margaret I must see,
Lady Margaret I must see.”
“Then if you go back to Lady Margaret,
Pray, what’s to become of me?”
“Well, I won’t be gone but an hour or two,
Until I return to thee.
Then I will return to thee.”
Oh, is she in that bowery room,
Or is she in her hall?
Or is she in her chambery,
A lady among them all,
A lady among them all?
No, she’s not in her bowery room,
And she’s not in her hall.
Lady Margaret lies in a coffin cold,
Out there in the hall,
Her face turned toward the wall.
“Take off, take off that coffin lid;
Turn back the shroud so fine.
Oh, let me kiss Lady’s Margaret’s lips.
In life she often kissed mine;
In life she often kissed mine.
Then the father took off the coffin lid,
And the brother turned down the sheet.
Three times he kissed the death-cold lips,
Then fell dead at her feet--
Fell dead right at her feet.
Lady Margaret was buried in the old church yard;
Lord William we buried a-nigh her.
From Margaret’s heart springed a red, red rose,
From Lord William’s heart a green briar,
From Lord William’s heart a green briar.
And they grew and they grew to the top of the wall;
Then they couldn’t grow any higher,
So fell down on the cold, cold ground,
But the rose still clung to the briar,
And the rose embraced the briar.
________________
Lady Margret - As sung by Almeda Riddle, Heber Springs, Arkansas on October 23, 1965 Max Hunter Folk Song Collection
http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=0587
VERSE 1
Now, what we gon'na do, Lady Margret, he said
Well, what can we do, said she.
Before tomorrow's sun shall set
Lord Williams new bride you will see-e-e
Lord Williams new bride you'll see
VERSE 2
Lady Margret set in her high hall winda [1]
Just a comb'in out 'er yellow hair
An' along came William from the 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' the night comes on
And the 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 makin'
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 [2]
An' it's well that I like my bed makin'
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 often kissed mi-ine-ine
In life, she's often kissed mine
VERSE 13
Then the Father took off the coffin lid
And the brother turned back the sheet
Three times he kissed the dead cold lips
Fell dead right at her fee-eet-eet
Lay dead at Margret's feet
VERSE 14
Lady Margret, we buried in the old church yard
Lord William, we buried a-nigh her [3]
From Margrets heart grew a green bri-i-er
From Lord William's heart a green brier
From Lord William's heart a green brier.
VERSE 15
An' they grew, an' they grew to the top o' th wall
Then they couldn't grow any higher
They fell down to the cold, cold ground
But that rose still clung to the bri-i-er
An' the rose embraced the brier.
1. window
2. The noise you hear starting about the sixth verse is, acorns falling on the roof of the house.
3. a-nigh= near; next to