The Lady and the Gypsy- Carter (KY) 1932 Niles
[From The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles, 1961,
R. Matteson 2012]
THE LADY AND THE GYPSY- Sung by Pete Carter, KY, 1932.
Last night she slept in a goose-feather bed,
Last night she slept with her baby-o,
But tonight she sleeps on the cold, cold ground,
But she sleeps with the black-jack gypsy-o (x2)
Go saddle up my milk-white steed,
Go blanket up my roan-o,
And I will ride o'er the countryside,
And search for the black-jack gypsy-o. (x2)
He rode twill he come to a village-town
On the side of the River Dee-o,
And oh, how the tears come a rollin' down
When he spied his own fair lady-o.
Come back, come back, come back my miss,
come back, come back my honey-o,
And I'll swear by the sun and the moon and the stars
You never will want for money-o.
Ah no, Ah no, I'll not come back,
And I'll not be your honey-o,
For I'd rather have a kiss from the gypsy's lips
Than all of your lands and money-o.
Pull off, pull off those high-heeled shoes,
Those gloves of snow-white leather-o,
And give me the touch of your lily-white hand,
And id me farewell forever-o.
She pulled off her high-heeled shoes,
Her gloves of Spanish leather-o,
And she handed him down her lily-white hand
And bade him farewell forever-o.
Last night she slept in a goose-feather bed,
His lordship slept beside her-o,
But tonight she sleeps on the cold, cold ground
With the gypsies all around her-o.