Lord Lovel- Graham (SC) 1914 Smith D
[From Reed Smith: South Carolina Ballads; 1928. His notes follow. Stanzas 1-5 supplied from version A.
R. Matteson 2015]
LORD LOVEL
(Child, No. 75)
This ballad is very common all through the South, sharing honors in this respect with "Barbara Allen," "The Hangman's Tree," "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight," and "Lord Thomas and Fair Elinor." It is also found widely in New England, where Mr. Phillips Barry reports finding six melodies. It is likewise reported from many places in the West.
Its popularity in America, however, like that of "Barbara Allen," can not be traced entirely to oral tradition. "Lord Lovel " was printed in American song-books five times between 1836 and 1865, besides being issued several times in broadside form. For specific references, see Cox's head-note, p.78, where are also listed other American texts, including comic and satirical
variants, and parodies; and see also A. H. Tolman, J. A. F. L., vol. xxix, p. 160, and note. There are five American manuscript texts among the Child manuscripts in Harvard University, in addition to the ten versions which are printed in Child's collection.
The tune published in Sharp is the same as that reproduced below. In regard to it, Sharp remarks: "I do not know of any publication in which the tune of this ballad is published." He speaks of having collected six versions in England but only one complete set of words. It would seem fairly certain that "Lord Lovel" is today much commoner in the United States than in Great Britain, as is also true of "Barbara Allen" and "The Hangman's Tree." It has a wide currency in South Carolina and elsewhere as a nursery song.
"Lord Lovel," by the way, clearly shows how necessary it is to deal with ballads as songs and not merely as poems. The text of "Lord Lovel" is sad and mournful. The tune, however, is lilting and rollicking, and with the triple repetition of the last word of the fourth line, turns the tear into a smile. The difference between reading it as a poem and singing it as a song is the difference between tragedy and comedy.
"Lord Lovel" is one of an interesting group of ballads which are usually classed together on account of similarities of plot, structure, and tone. The others are "Lord Thomas and F'air Elinorr" "F'air Margaret and Sweet William," "Lady Alice or Giles Collins," and "Bonny Barbara Allen." All unfold a love story of man and maid, and all end tragically.
D. "Lord Lovel." Submitted by Miss Ada Taylor Graham, of Columbia, S. C., December 28, 1914.
(Stanzas 1-5 same as in A)
1. Lord Lovel he stood at his castle gate,
A-combing his milk-white steed;
When along came Lady Nancy Bell,
A- wishing her lover good speed, speed, speed,
A-wishing her lover good speed.
2. "Oh where are you going, Lord Lovel?" she said;
"Oh where are you going?" said she.
"I'm going, my dear Lady Nancy Bell,
Strange countries for to see, see, see,
Strange countries for to see."
3. "When will you be back, Lord Lovel?" she said;
"When will you be back?" said she.
"In a year or two or three at the most
I'll return to my Lady Nancee- cee, cee,
I'll return to my Lady Nancee."
4. He'd not been gone but a year and a day,
Strange countries for to see,
When languishing thoughts came into his mind
Lady Nancy Bell he would see.
5. He rode and he rode on his milk-white steed,
Till he reached fair London Town;
And there he heard St. Varney's bell
And the people all mourning around.
6. "Oh, who is dead?" Lord Lovel, he said,
"Oh, who is dead? " said he,
"A lady is dead," the people all said,
"And they call her the Lady Nancy."
7. He straightway ordered, a grave to be made,
And the coffin opened wide;
And there by the side of Nancy Bell
He laid him down and died.
8. They buried them both by the old church tower,
They buried them side by side;
And out of her grave there grew a red rose,
And out of his a briar.
9. They grew and they grew on the old church tower,
'Till they couldn't grow up any higher;
And there they tied in a true lover's knot,
For all true lovers to admire.