Lady Margaret & Sweet William- Goon (OH) c.1874 Eddy A
[Ballads and Songs from Ohio; Eddy, 1939. Her notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
Miss Goon was assisted in recalling the words of this song by Mrs. Eliza Bowerman, of Loudonville, Ohio, from whose mother Miss Goon learned the song. In a letter of March 23, 1926, Miss Goon writes: "I learned this song from Mrs. Mary Butler by her singing it over and over to me, more than fifty years ago."
Lady Margaret & Sweet William- Goon (OH) c.1874 Eddy A; Collected 1926 by Eddy, with music.
1 Sweet William arose one merry May morning,
And dressed himself in blue; Saying,
"Come tell unto me that long, long love,
That's between Lady Margaret and you.
2 "I know no harm of her," he said,
And I hope she knows none of me,
But tomorrow morning by eight of the clock
Lady Margaret my bride shall see.
3. Lady Margaret was standing in her own hall door,
A-combing back her hair,
When who did she spy but Sweet William and his bride,
As they to the church drew near.
4. She throwed down her ivory comb,
And with silk she tied her hair,
And this pretty fair maiden went out of the room,
And never was seen back there.
5. The day was far spent and the night was coming on,
When most of the men was at work;
Sweet William he said he was troubled in his head
By a dream that he dreampt that night.
6. . . .
. . .
He dreamed his room was full of wild swine,
And his bride's bed swimming in blood.
7. The night was far spent and the day coming on,
When most of the men was asleep,
When Lady Margaret's ghost appeared,
And stood at his bed's feet.
8. "How do you like your bed," says she,
"And how do you like your sheet?
And how do you like your newly-married bride
That lies in your arms and sleeps?"
9. "Very well do I like my bed," said he,
"And also I like my sheet,
But the best of all is that fair lady in white
That stands at my bed's feet."
10. Her face was white as the driven snow,
Clad in that yonder cloud,
And clay-cold was her lily-white hand
That held her lily-white shroud.
11. Then he called on his merry maidens all,
By one, by two, by three,
And last of all on his new married bride,
Lady Margaret she might go and see'
12. Oh, is she in her high bower-ee,
Or is she in her hall,
Or is she in her gay coaches,
Among her merry maidens all?
13. No, she is not in her high bower-ee,
Nor she is not in her hall,
But she is in her new coffin,
Laid out against the wall.
14. "Take down, take down those sheets," said he,
"Made out of the silk so fine,
And let me kiss them clay-cold lips,
For so oft they have kissed mine."
15. "Take down, take down those sheets," said he,
"Made out of the linen so fine,
Today they are over Lady Margaret's corpse,
And to-morrow they will be over mine."
16. Lady Margaret she died as if today,
Sweet William he died on the morrow;
Lady Margaret she died of pure, pure love,
Sweet William he died of sorrow.
17. Lady Margaret was buried under a cherry-tree top,
Sweet William was buried under a willow,
And they both grew high, and they both grew together,
And they tied in a true lovers' knot.