Lord Lovel- (KY) c1918 Sharp/Farnsworth; Pine Mt.
[No informant named. From: FOLK SONGS, CHANTEYS AND SINGING GAMES; edited by Charles H. Farnsworth and Cecil Sharp; Pine Mountain Settlement School publication circa 1918; also in Song Ballads and other Songs of Pine Mountain Settlement School- 1923.
R. Matteson 2015]
LORD LOVEL
1 Lord Lovel he stood at his castle gate,
A-combing his milk-white steed,
When up came Lady Nancy Belle,
To wish her lover good speed, good speed,
To wish her lover good speed.
2 O where are you going, Lord Lovel, she said,
O where are you going? cried she:
I'm going away, Lady Nancy Belle,[1]
Strange countries for to see.
3 How long 'll you be gone, Lord Lovel, she said,
How long 'll you be gone, cried she:
In a year or two, or three at the most,
I'll return to my Lady Nancy.
4 He had not been gone but a year and a day,
Strange countries for to see,
When a strange thought came into his head,
He'd go and see Lady Nancy.
5 He rode and he rode on his milk-white steed,
Till he came to London Town;
And there he heard the church-bells ring,
And the people all mourning around.
6 Now who is dead, Lord Lovel, he said,
Now who is dead, said he?
An old woman said, some lady is dead
And they called her the Lady Nancy.
7 He ordered the grave to be opened a-wide
And the shroud to be turned around;
And then he kissed her cold clay cheeks
Till the tears came trickling down.
8 Lady Nancy she died, as it might be today
Lord Lovel he died as tomorrow.
Lady Nancy she died out of pure, pure grief,
Lord Lovel he died out of sorrow.
9 Then one was buried in the lower chancel,
The other was buried in the higher.
From one sprung a gallant red rose,
From the other a gilly flower;
10 And there they grew and turned and twined,
Till they gained the chancel top,
And there they grew and turned and twined,
And tied in a true-lover's knot, knot, knot.
And tied in a true lover's knot.
1. I assume there is some repetition at the end of this line: Belle, Belle and it is such for each stanza. It's only written for the first and last.