Lord Thomas- Flowers (MS) pre1936 Hudson D
[My title, none given. From Folksong of Mississippi; Hudson, 1936, version D. His notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
D. [Lord Thomas.] Copy made by Miss Allie Ward Billingsley, Winona, from the singing of Mrs. J. E. Flowers, Winona.
1 "O mother, O mother, come listen to me,
Come listen unto me.
Must I go marry fair Ellender
Or bring a brown girl home?"
2 "The brown girl she has money a-plenty,
Fair Ellender has none.
Therefore, my advice to you:
Go bring the brown girl home."
3 He dressed himself in linen so fine;
He mounted his black so gay,
And every city that he rode through
They took him to be some king.
4 He rode and rode until he came to the place,
The home where fair Ellender dwelled,
And was there but fair Ellender herself
To arise and let him in.
S "Good news, good news I have for you,
Good news, good news, I say;
I'm going to marry fair Ellender,
Next Tuesday is the day."
6 "But God forbid," fair Ellender said,
"That such a thing should be done.
I expect to be your loving bride
Before these many days.
7 "O mother, O mother, come listen to me'
Come listen to me.
Must I go to Lord Thomas's wedding
0r stay at home with you?
8 "At the risk of my life,
If it cause me my life,
To Lord Thomas's wedding I'll go."
9 She dressed herself in satin so fine
And mounted her black so gay,
And every city she went through
Took her to be some queen.
10 She rode and rode until she came to the place,
Came to Lord Thomas's hall.
No one so ready as Lord Thomas himself
To arise and let her in.
11 He took her by her lily-white hand
And led her through the hall
Upstairs where the guests were seated around
Among those ladies all.
12 "Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas," she said,
"Is this your bride so gay? Methinks she's wondrous brown,
When you could have had the fairest lady
That ever the sun shone on."
13 The brown girl she had a little pen-knife,
It was so fine and sharp.
She drew her little pen-knife,
And pierced fair Ellender to the heart.
14 "O dig my grave," Lord Thomas he said,
"Dig it both wide and deep.
I want fair Ellender buried at my side,
The brown girl at my feet."