Little Matthy Groves- Brewer (KY) 1916 Sharp G
[My title, Bronson titles it "Lord Donald." From Sharp/Campbell English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians I. Also in Sharp/Karpeles 1932, p. 161-182, versions A-Q. Notes from 1932 edition follow. Last verses missing.
This was collected by Campbell or more likely supplied to her by Katherine Pettit or someone from the Hindman - Clay Coutny area. In 1917 Sharp collected the first stanza (differing significantly) from her husband Hillard Smith (see Young Magrove- Smith (KY) 1917 Sharp MS).
R. Matteson 2012, 2015]
1932 Edition Notes: No. 23. Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard.
Texts without tunes:— Child s English and Scottish Popular Ballads, No. 81. Reed Smith's South Carolina Ballads, p. 125. Cox's Folk Songs of the South, p. 94. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxiii. 371; xxv. 182.
Texts with tunes:—Rimbault's Musical Illustrations of Percy's Reliques, p. 92. Chappel's Popular Music of the Olden Times, i. 170. Motherwell's Minstrelsy, Appendix, tune No. 21. W. R. Mackenzie's Ballads and Sea Songs of Nova Scotia, No. 8. Wyman and Brockway's Twenty Kentucky Mountain Songs, pp. 22 and 62. Journal of American Folk-Lore, xxx. 309. British Ballads from Maine, p. 150. Davis's Traditional Ballads of Virginia, pp. 289 and 577.
Sharp G
Ho- ly Word to hear, hear, The Ho- ly Word to hear.
1. Holi-, holi-, holiday,
On the very first day of the year,
Little Matthy Grove went down to the church,
The Holy Word to hear, hear,
The Holy Word to hear.
2 First came down was the lady gay,
The next came down was a girl,
The next came down was Lord Donald's wife,
The flowers of the world.
3 She placed her arm on little Matthy Grove,
Says: Matthy, go home with me,
This night, this night,
This livelong night to sleep.
4 I am darsing of my life,
I can't go home with you.
I know you by your finger rings,
You are Lord Donald's wife.
5 If I am Lord Donald's wife,
Lord Donald is gone from home.
He's gone across the water side,
He's gone over there to stay.
6 Little Speedfoot was standing by
To see what he could hear,
And as he saw them both walk off,
He picked up his heels and run.
7 He ran till he came to the river side,
He bent his breast and swam,
Swam till he came to the other side
And he picked up his heels and ran.
8 He ran till he came to the high King Gate;
He rattled the bell and it rung.
What news, what news, little Speedfoot, he says,
What news do you bring me?
9 Is my old scaffold burned down?
Or is my tavern run?
Or is my lady gay put to bed,
With a daughter or a son?
10 No, your scaffold's not burned down,
Nor your tavern's not run ;
Nor your lady gay is not put to bed
With a daughter or a son.
But little Matthy Grove is at your own house
In bed with your lady gay.
11 Little Donald he had two bright, keen swords,
Little Matthy he had none.
Lord Donald said to get up and put on his clothes
And fight him like a man— That he couldn't fight a naked man.
12 Put on your clothes and fight me for your life.
How can I fight you and me not even a knife ?