The Brown Girl- Moses (NH) 1943 Flanders J
[From Flanders' Ancient Ballads, 1966. Notes by Coffin/Flanders follow. This version closely follows the English broadside, Child D.
R. Matteson 2014]
Lord Thomas and Fair Annet
(Child 73)
Child prints nine versions of "Lord Thomas and Fair Eleanor" or "The Brown Girl" as the ballad is so frequently called; all but one are Scottish. However, this one, Child D, a seventeenth-century English broadside, seems to be the progenitor of the entire American and modern British stock of the song. Child D variants have been found frequently on both sides of the Atlantic, and this circulation no doubt accounts not only for the fact most informants know or can recognize the ballad, but also for the fact there is little difference in the ballad from one area to another.
Belden, 38, points out some of the major differences between the Scottish tradition and the American versions of the song. The Scottish opening, borrowed from "Fair Margaret and Sweet William" (Child 74), and the remarks exchanged between the women on the brown girl's complexion are both missing in this country, as may be the "rose-briar" cliche, common to Child 74 and Child 75 in "Lord Lovel"). Furthermore, the American hero himself and, not his messenger goes to see Eleanor, and he seeks advice from his mother, never other members of the family. As many texts in this country open with a description of Lord Thomas as a "bold forester," the phrase used in the Nafis and Cornish Forget-Me-Not Songster, there is little doubt this popular volume had much to do with the spread and consistency of the ballad throughout the States.
J. The Brown Girl. As sung by Jonathan Moses of Orford, New Hampshire. M. Olney, Collector; July 10, 1943; Structure: A B A B (2,2,2,2); Rhythm A; Contour: each line an arc; Scale: pentachordal; t. c. B-flat. Note the large range and the large melodic intervals. For mel. rel. see Sharp I, 127(T); and perhaps GCM, 37.
The Brown Girl
"Had I better go to Lord Thomas' wedding,
Or had I better tarry at home?"
"Oh, I would advise it by my blessing,
Lord Thomas' wedding-don't go!"
(Last two lines of each stanza repeated)
She dress-ed up her waiting maids all;
She dressed them all up in green,
And ev'ry town that she rode through,
They took her to be some queen,
And ev'ry town that she rode through.
They took her to be some queen.
She rode till she came to Lord Thomas' door,
And knock so loud at the ring;
And none were so ready as Lord Thomas
To 'rise and to let her in,
And none were so ready as Lord Thomas
For to arise and let her in.
He took her by her lily-white;
He led her through the hall;
He placed her at the head of his own table
Among the gentries all'
"Is that your bride?" Fair Eleanor said,
"I think she looks wonderful brown;
For you might have had as fair a lady
As ever the sun shone on!"
She drew a penknife from her sleeve;
She pierced through their heart,
Saying, "There never were three lovers that met
Could any sooner part!"
He took the Brown girl by the hand;
He marched her through the hall;
He took her brown head off at one stroke
And kicked it against the wall.
He placed the handle to the floor,
The[1] point right through his heart,
Saying,"There never was three lovers that met
Could any sooner part!"
1. "the" pronounced "ther."