Sweet William- (KY) c.1914 McGill
[From "Folk-Songs of the Kentucky Mountains," 1917, pp. 69-77. Lyddy Marget= Lady Margaret; This version also was reprinted by Louise Pound in her American Ballads and Songs 1922. No informant named- McGill does provide a list of informants but never assigns them to a specific ballad.
McGill from Louisville, Kentucky spent time in NYC studying music. The ballads and songs were collected during the summer of 1914 and 1915 using Hindeman Settlement School as a base. Jason Ritchie, Jean's uncle, was involved in this collection as a consultant. He was a lawyer and his study of ballads in the region had an impact on Jean and her knowledge of ballads.
R. Matteson 2014]
Sweet William- (KY) c. 1914 McGill
1 Sweet William arose on last May morning
And dressed himself in blue:
"Come tell me of that long, long love
Between Lyddy Marget and you."
2 "I know no harm of Lyddy Marget,
I'm sure she knows none of me;
By eight o'clock tomorrow morning
Lady Margaret my bride shall see."
3 Lyddy Marget was sitting in her own bower room,
A-combing her long yellow hair;
She saw Sweet William and his new bride,
As they came riding near.
4 Lyddy Marget threw down her golden comb
And quickly she bound up her hair;
And away she went her own bower room
No more to be seen there.
5. The day being past and night come on
When all men were asleep,
Lyddy Margret's ghost came about midnight
And stood at Sweet William's bed feet.
6. "How do you like your bed?" she said,
"How do you like your sheet;
How do you like that fair ladie
That lies in your arms asleep?"
7. "Very well I like my bed," he said,
"Very well I like my sheet;
But better I like the fair ladie
That stands at my bed feet."
8. The night being gone and day come on,
When all men were awake;
Sweet William he rose with trouble on his mind
From the dream that he dreamed last night.
9. "Such dreams, such dreams as I dreamed last night
Such dreams are never good;
I dreamed my room was full of wild swine,
My bride bed full of blood."
10. Sweet William he called his merry men all
By ones, by twos, by threes;
Before them all he asked his bride
If Lyddy Margret he might go see.
11. "What will you do with Lyddy Margret, my love,
And what will you do with me?"
"Today I go see Lyddy Margret," he said,
"Tomorrow return to thee."
12. He rode till he came to Lyddy Margret's hall,
And dingled so loud on the ring;
And who so ready as her own brothers
To rise and let him come in?
13. "Is Margret in her own bower room,
Or is she in her hall,
Or is she in the kitchen
Among her merry maids all?"
14. "She's neither in the kitchen,
She's neither in her hall;
But she is in her own bower room
Laid out against the wall."
15. "Raise up, raise up that coffin lid
So I can gaze within;
And let me kiss her clay-cold lips
Lord send it the breath was in."
16. First he kissed her on the cheek,
And then he kissed her chin;
And then he kissed her clay-cold lips
That oft times had kissed him.
17. "Fold down, fold down those snowy white sheets,
All made of linen so fine;
Today they hang over Margret's corpse,
Tomorrow hang over mine."
18. Lyddy Margret died it might have been today,
Sweet William died tomorrow.
Lyddy Margret died for pure, pure love,
Sweet William died for sorrow.
19. Lyddy Margret was buried in the lower church yard,
Sweet William was buried in the higher;
And out of her grave there sprang a red rose,
And out of his grave a briar.
20. They grew and they grew to the high church top,
And then they could grow no higher;
And there they tied in a true lover's knot
The red rose and the briar.