Lord Bateman- Crites (WV) pre1975 Gainer
[Gainer, Folk Songs from the West Virginia Hills; 1975. Maggie Crites was born circa 1910 and died in 2000. Gainer's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
LORD BATEMAN
(CHILD 53, "YOUNG BEICHAN" OR "LORD BATEMAN")
This Child ballad is usually known as "Lord Bateman" in America. It is a good love story with a happy ending, in which the real heroic character is a woman. The numbers seven and three in stanza 5 are standard numbers which often occur in folk song and tales. The tune is in the Dorian mode. Maggie Crites, of Braxton County, who knew many old songs, sang this ballad.
1. Lord Bateman was an English gentleman
He was a lord of high degree;
He grew, he grew so discontented
He vowed he'd set sail upon the sea.
2. Oh, he sailed east, and he sailed west,
He sailed across the northern sea,
Until he came to a Turkish country,
Where he was put in slavery.
3. The Turkish king had a lovely daughter,
Oh, she was of a high degree,
She stole the keys from her father's dwelling,
And out of prison set him free.
4. "Let's make a vow unto each other,
Let's make it seven long years to stand,
If you'll not marry another woman,
I'll never marry another man."
5. Oh, seven long years had passed and gone,
Seven long Years and almost three,
She gathered up all her fine clothing,
And vowed Lord Bateman she'd go see.
6. Oh, she sailed east, and she sailed west,
Until she came to the English shore,
And there she went to see Lord Bateman,
She'd vowed she'd love forevermore.
7 "Oh, is this Lord Bateman's hall,
And is he in there all alone?"
"Oh, no, oh no," cried the proud porter,
"Today a bride he's just brought home."
8 "Remind him of the Turkish prison,
Remind him of the raging sea,
Remind him of the Turkish lady,
Who out of Prison set him free."
9 "There is a lady at your gate,
And she is of high degree,
She wears a ring on her left forefinger,
And on the others she wears three'"
10 Lord Bateman rose up from his table,
And broke it into pieces three,
Saying, "I'll give my love to the Turkish lady
Who out of Prison set me free.
11 "Oh, lady, take back home your daughter,
For she is none the worse by me,
For I will marry the Turkish lady
Who out of prison set me free."