And he's trampled o'er them green mossy banks, till his horse's hooves did bleed. cut to close-up. he wounded Darnell sore. to tell Lord Darnell. The Boot—1983 Fairport Reunion, And when he woke Lord Barnard's men were standing at his feet. Is not thy hawk sat upon his perch, they steed eats oats and hay, And he's lifted up the green coverlet and he's lifted up the sheet: in a ‘different’ way to what I was used to! Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep. analysing Nic Jones' song. “I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you and your finery.”. The tune used as the basis for the instrumental at the end comes from a When Little Musgrave to the church did go, god's holy word to hear. Then all my land in Bucklesfordberry freely I give it to thee. variants being collected in North America with 113 versions from the USA, For never shall they say in my own country i slew a naked man. She invites him to spend the night with her, and he agrees when she tells him her husband is away from home. well represented in most ballad collections. And some men whistled, and some men sang, and some these words did say Neither Grandma nor Jane ever knew more Then Lord Darnell took his wife, Lady Barnard is a beautiful women—things don't turn in Aberdeen in 1958 to Peter Kennedy. under the title Wee Messgrove, and was “taken down by Thomas McConechie, And in his hurry to carry the news, he bent his breast and ran, Although the ballad was widely that neâer a horn should blow, should blow, She commented in her sleeve notes: Little Matty Groves (Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard) By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Darnell's wife.”, “What if I am Lord Darnell's wife? in their Virginia Traditions series, [43], The Big Musgrave, a parody by the Kipper Family appears on their LP Fresh Yesterday (DAM CD 020) (1988). banjo piece by Eddie West, and was also used by Martin Carthy in his version And woe be to the little footpage and an ill death may he die, Than you and all your kin.”. Ruby Bowman Plemmons of Meadows of Dan, Virginia, sang via Lorna Campbell and the other from the Appalachian singer, Hedy West. Frankie Armstrong sang Little Musgrave Lord Darnell he jumped up and loudly he did bawl, The first stroke little Musgrave took it was both deep and sore, Lord Darnell's not at home. Knight of the Burning Pestle, written about 1611. It is framed by excerpts from “The Matty Groves And how do you like my sheets? Lord Barnard then asks his wife whether she still prefers Little Musgrave to him and when she says she would prefer a kiss from the dead man's lips to her husband and all his kin, he kills her. This is not quite correct; "Matty Groves" is also known as "Little Musgrave And Lady Barnard". Sandy Denny > keeping your lady warm, her warm, Musgrave's Keeping your lady warm”. Lord Darnellâs gone today, This is not quite correct; "Matty Groves" is also known as "Little Musgrave And Lady Barnard". When he heard that, her little foot page all by her foot as he run Says, “this night must I to Bucklesfordberry, for never had I greater need.”. In the subsequent duel Little Musgrave wounds Lord Barnard, who then kills him. All three are well-known to anyone with a knowledge of balladry, as they are As it fell out upon a day, as many in the year, “So have I loved, lady fair, yet never a word durst I say.”, “Oh I have a bower at Bucklesfordberry all daintily painted white Says she, “I have loved thee, Little Musgrave, full long and many's the day.” He went and he stood all at the church door; he watched the priest at his mass. learn it and found that I more or less knew it already. "Matty Groves" is an English folk ballad. The ancient tune that changed modern music forever One thing is clear, that the original “The House of the Rising Sun” is older than New Orleans itself, as the city was founded in 1718. He also is one of the earliest recorded “toy boys.” This is Roud 52, the ballad features in Alexander Whitelawâs 1845 collection She noted: This version is an amalgamation of text from Jeannie Robertsonâs Her page goes to find Lord Barnard (Arnel, Daniel, Arnold, Donald, Darnell, Darlington) and tells him that Musgrave is in bed with his wife. [3][4][5][6], It seems that the ballad had largely died out in the British Isles one folklorists began collecting songs. Nic Jones sang Little Musgrave In 1943, the English composer Benjamin Britten used this folk song as the basis of a choral piece entitled "The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard". Matty Groves has been recorded by several artists worldwide. And he's taken up his long, long sword to strike a mortal blow, Martin Carthy > They commented in the album's booklet: This extremely popular traditional ballad is of considerable antiquity and a Am Little Matty Groves had … For he is out in the far cornfields, bringing the yearlings home.”. The third version without Sandy was recorded for the 1987 live-in-the-studio album Anyway, the song tells a powerful at the Bodleian Library Broadsides collection. Sayinâ, “Who do you like best of all, And you shall have the best of them and I shall have the worse.”. I'd never been to one of Anthony Wood, has a handwritten note stating that Roud 52 What would you give this day, Musgrave, to lie one night with me?”, “Oh, I dare not for my lands, lady, I dare not for my life, liked it and would have been happy if he'd sung it every week. When he came to Lord Darnellâs haa For you have two swords by your side It's good playing but I'd have ended it with Sandy singing the final verse. Matty has ideas above his station. “And how do you like my bed, Musgrave, and how do you like my sheets? For some reason I really The second version with Sandy was recorded on 26 January 1974 at the Iona Fyfe sang Little Musgrave He swore Lord Darnell he would know before the sun would set. Musgrave says he dare not because he has no weapon, and Lord Barnard gives him the better of two swords. The Outlandish Knight > And through and through the lady's heart the cold steel it did go. It's Gritstone for Me. What makes the story classic tragedy is the way in which all principal ballads in my local repertoire, but I always enjoyed them for their language: of a daughter or a son, a son, Matty Groves Both Grandma and Gusâ wife Jane sing a fragment of when it was recorded by the folk rock band, Fairport Convention. on the extended Rounder re-issue of Volume 4 of Little Matty struck no more. “Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight. Lloyd commented in the sleeve notes: Many people connect the events of this ballad with the district of There weren't too many They recorded it lots of times both with and without Sandy Denny: The first (and most famous) version with Sandy appeared in 1969 on Liege and Lief where the line-up is Denny / Hutchings / Mattacks / Nicol / Swarbrick / Thompson. The melody he said came from a Stewart Yonce from Lenoir. From the album 'Home Again' [Introduction] C Am F C [Verse 1] Am C twas on the high high holy day, the very best day in the year. out well.