Song Ballot of Lord Thomas- (NC) c1925 Greer LV1
[No date, informant or place named. From I.G. Greer Collection with music. Titled LV1 (Lyric Variantion 1)on a handwritten MS and SM1 (Sheet Music 1) and SM2 are music transcriptions. Says, "Written by a friend," on last page. This version has also been typed out.
This is the "Lord Lovell" form of this ballad. I've done minor editing for spelling and punctuation; most changes are footnoted.
R. Matteson 2014]
Song Ballot of Lord Thomas
1. "Come mother, come father, and riddle my soul,
And send this riddle to me.
Which [do] you think would be the most for me,
To marry fair Ellender,
Or to bring the brown girl, home, home, home,
Or to bring the brown girl home?"
2. "The Brown girl she has house and land,
Fair Ellender she has none.
So I think it would be the most to you,
For to bring the brown girl, home, home, home,
For to bring the brown girl home."
3. Go bridal, go saddle my milk-white steed,
And bring him unto me.
I'll ride all day, I'll ride all night,
Fair Ellender I must see, see, see,
Fair Ellender I must see.
4. He rode till he came to fair Ellender's gate,
He knocked, he rattled, he rang,
No one was so ready as fair Ellender herself,
As to open and let him in, in, in,
As to open and let him in.
5. "Lord Thomas, Lord Thomas, have you any good news?
Have you any good news for me?"
"I've come to ask you to my wedding,"
"Bad news Lord Thomas for me, me, me,
Bad news Lord Thomas for me.
6. She dressed herself [in] scarlet red,
Her servant in scarlet green,
and every city that they rode through,
They've[1] taken her to be some queen, queen, queen,
They've taken her to be some queen.
7. She rode till she came to Lord Thomas's gate,
She knocked, she rattled, she rang,
No one was so ready as Lord Thomas himself,
As to open and let him in, in, in,
As to open and let him in.
8. He took fair Ellender by the hand,
And led her through the hall.
He set[2] her down in a golden chair,
Amongst the quality all, all, all,
Amongst the quality all.
9. Lord Thomas Lord Thomas, is this your bride?
She looks most wonderful brown[3].
When you could have married as fair a young lady,
As ever the sun shone on, on on,
As ever the sun shone on.
10. The Brown girl whetted her little pen knife,
She whetted it keen and sharp
Between the long ribs and the short,
She pierced Fair Ellender's heart, heart, heart,
She pierced Fair Ellender's heart.
11. "Lord Thomas Lord Thomas are you blind,
Or can't you never see?"
The blood of my own precious heart,
Come trickling down my knee, knee, knee,
Come trickling down my knee.
12. He took the Brown girl by the hand,
And led her through the hall,
And with a sword cut off her head,
And kicked it against the wall, wall, wall,
And kicked it against the wall.
13. He put the handle against the wall,
The point against his breast,[4]
Saying, "Here's the end of three loving friends,
God send their souls to rest, rest, rest,
God send their souls to rest.
14. 'Come father, come mother, come dig my grave,
And did it deep and wide,[5]
And bury Fair Ellender in my arms
And the Brown girl at my side, side, side,
And the Brown girl at my side.
15. They turned Lord Thomas' request around,
They turned it right around.
And buried Fair Ellender at his feet,
And the Brown girl in his arms, arms, arms,
And the Brown girl in his arms.
16. And they laid the bible under their heads,
And the sword at Ellender's feet, feet, feet,
And the sword at Ellender's feet.[6]
1. MS has: They taken. . .
2. sat
3. originally "pale"
4. originally "heart
5. originally "wife"
6. This ending is sung using the melody for last three lines; as a repeat or tag.