Little Matthey Groves- (NC) 1934 Niles B
[From The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles; 1961. Niles notes follow. As with all versions by Niles you can never tell what's traditional or recreated. This text seems traditional- where version A is heavily edited or recreated.
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
Little Mathy Groves
(Niles No. 34 B)
THIS TEXT came to me from a woman who was cooking for a preacher's wife in Asheville, N. C. Neither the preacher's wife nor the cook wished to have her name used, and so they must both remain anonymous. The cook whispered her text, and made me promise faithfully I would keep her secret, for fear her Baptist friends would have her churched. There was no singing, the text being spoken. It is interesting to see how the typical ballad stanza has been lost in the transition from the sung to the spoken word. Indeed, released from the formal restraint of melodic line, the text itself loses form. The date was July 28, 1934- just a few days before the recording of 34 A with its far superior text.
1. Oh holiday, oh holiday,
The very first day of the year,
Little Matthey Groves went to church
The Holy Word to hear.
2. The very first one that he saw there
Was Lord Arling's wife.
She stepped up to him and said:
"Little Matthey Groves, you must go home
With me tonight."
3. "I cannot, I dare not, for my life,
For I perceive by the gold rings you wear
That you are Lord Arling's wife."
4. "And if I be Lord Arling's wife
As you presume me to be,
Lord Arling's away with all his merry men
At the New Cassea.
And he won't be home today
And he won't be home tonight."
5. Her little foot page was standing by,
Heard all the words that Matthey said.
He ran to carry Lord Arling the word,
He ran till he came to the deep blue sea,
He doubled his breast and he swam
Until he came to dry land.
He buckled his shoes and he ran
Until he came to where Lord Arling was
With all his merry men.
6. "News I bring thee, Lord Arling,
News I bring to thee.
Little Matthey Groves is in bed
With your gay lady."
7. "If this be a lie, as I presume it to be,
Little foot page, you shall be hanged
To the highest tree.
But if it be the truth, as you presume it to be,
ft's a married man you shall be.
I have but one little daughter in this world,
And marry her you shall."
8. Lord Arling called together
All his merry men.
He ordered them all to march
And not a horn be blown.
9. The foremost man in the lot,
He knew Little Matthey well.
He raised his horn all to his lips
And blew a note all loud and shrill:
"Little Matthey Groves, rise up and go."
10. It woke Little Matthey all from his sleep.
He said to the lady: "I must go,
For I hear Lord Arling's horn."
She said to him, "Little Matthey,
Lie still and keep me warm.
It's only my father's new shepherd
A-driving the sheep home."
11. The very next thing Little Matthey knew,
Lord Arling was standing at his bed-feet.
"How do you like my fine featherbed
And how do you like my sheets,
And how do you like my gay lady
That lies in your arms asleep?"
12 "Rise you up, Little Matthey,
Rise you up and put on some clothes,
For it shall never be said in an English land
That I slayed a naked man."
13. "I cannot, I dare not, for my life,
For you have two bright swords
And I have not so much as a knife."
14. "It's true that I have two bright swords,
They cost me long and deep
But the best one I will give to you
And the worst one I will keep."
15. The very first lick Little Matthey struck
He knocked Lord Arling to the floor.
The very first lick Lord Arling struck,
Little Matthey Groves could strike no more.
16. He took his gay lady,
And seated her on his knee,
Saying: "Pray tell to me which you like best,
Little Matthey Groves or me."
17. "Very well I like your cheek,
Much better I like your chin,
But I wouldn't give Matthey Groves' little finger
For you and all your kin."
18 Lord Arling took his sword
And cut his own wife's head off
And dashed it against the wall,
Saying: "Lie there, lie there,
For you will never fool me any more."