Hi there. Here's a ballad called "Mathey Groves" (Child Ballad No. 81). It has a billion different names and versions. I'm not a singer, so I'm not looking for any constructive criticism. I'm just trying to share the songs with others-trying to keep the oral tradition alive!
Also, if you're wondering why I'm looking down in the video, I'm playing cards because I'm nervous and because it's boring singing to a camera.
Here are the lyrics:
Mathey Groves
Oh holiday, oh holy day
The first day of the year
Little Mathey Groves to church did go
Some holy words to hear, hear
Some holy words to hear
He spied some women dressed in black
As they came into view
Lord Daniel's wife was gaily clad
The flower of the few, few
The flower of the few
She step-ed up to Little Mathey Groves
Her eyes cast on the ground
Said, "Please, oh please, come with me stay
As you pass through this town, town
As you pass through this town"
Oh please, oh please come with me stay
I'll hide thee out of sight
I'll pleasure you beyond compare
And sleep with you all night, night
I'll sleep with you all night
I cannot stay, I dare not stay
I fear t'will cost my life
Cause I can tell by your finger rings
That you are Lord Daniel's wife, wife
That you are Lord Daniel's wife
Lord Daniel's in some distant land
He's left me for to roam
He's taken all his merry men
And I am quite alone, 'lone
And I am quite alone
Her little footy-page was a standing near by
Was a hearing every word was said
He said, "Before the sun goes down
Lord Daniel'll know what's said, said
Lord Daniel'll know what's said"
He ran along the king's highway
He swam against the tide
And before the sun went down
He's standing at Daniel's side, side
Standing at Daniel's side
"What news, what news," Lord Daniel cried
"What new do you bring to me?
My castle's burned, my tenants wronged
My wife with a baby, be
My wife with a baby"
No harm has come to your house or lands
While you have been away
But Little Mathey Groves is a hugging and a kissing
On your fair lady gay, gay
Your fair lady gay
If what you say is not the truth
As I take it to be
I'll build a scaffold tower so high
And hang-ed you will be, be
Hang-ed you will be
If what I say is not the truth
And false as false can be
You need not build a scaffold tower
Just hang me from a tree, tree
Hang me from a tree
Lord Daniel called his merry men
And bid them with him go
But warned them not to speak a word
And not a horn to blow, blow
Not a horn to blow
But riding with his merry men
Was one who'd wish no ill
He popped his bugle to his mouth
And he blew it loud and shrill, shrill
Blew it loud and shrill
"Oh what is this?" cried Little Mathey Groves
As he sat up in the bed
"I fear it is your husband's men
And I will soon be dead, dead
And I will soon be dead"
Oh lay back down, Little Mathey Groves
And keep my back from cold
'Tis nothing but my father's men
Calling their sheep to fold, fold
Calling their sheep to fold
So Little Mathey Groves, he laid back down
And soon fell off to sleep
When he woke up, Lord Daniel was
Standing at his bed feet, feet
Standing at his bed feet
Saying, "How do you like my snow white pillows?"
Saying, "How do you like my sheets?"
Saying, "How do you like my pretty little woman
That's a laying in your arms asleep, sleep
Laying in you arms asleep?"
Very well do I like your snow white pillows
Very well do I like your sheet
Much better do I like your pretty little woman
That's a laying in my arms asleep, sleep
Laying in my arms asleep
"Get up, get up," Lord Daniel cried
"And put on your clothes
In England it shall never be said I
Killed a naked man, man
Killed a naked man"
I won't get up, I can't get up
I fear t'will cost my life
Cause you have got two bitter swords
And I ain't got a knife, knife
I ain't got a knife
I know I've got two bitter swords
They cost me deep in purse
I'll give to you the best of these
And I will keep the worst, worst,
I will keep the worst
The first swing that Little Mathey made
It hurt Lord Daniel sore
The next swing that Lord Daniel made
Little Mathey hit the floor, floor
Little Mathey hit the floor
Get up, get up, my pretty little wife
And come sit on my knee
And tell me which you liked the best
Little Mathey Groves or me, me
Little Mathey Groves or me
She looked up in Lord Daniel's face
And saw his jutting chin
Said, "I wouldn't trade Little Mathey Groves
For you and all your kin, kin
For you and all your kin"
He took her by the lily white hand
And led her across the hall
He pulled out his sword and cut off her head
And he kicked it against the wall, wall
Kicked it against the wall
Go dig me a grave both wide and deep
To bury these two in
Just kick little Mathey Groves over the side
But lower my sweet wife in, in
Yes, lower my sweet wife in
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Slitzkrieg - Matty Groves with Lyricsby nkfiddler131,490 views
I have been looking for this very version and melody of this wonderful song for years! Thanks so much for posting it, and more so for including the lyrics. Bravo!
brideout0530 2 months ago
@brideout0530 Hooray! Glad I could help :)
asmoen 2 months ago
This is fantastic, ive been listening to your covers of the Child ballads all day and theyre really beautiful and inspirational. Im glad that talented every-day people like you keep these old songs alive. :D
Im also amazed at how you can sing the part about him kicking his wifes head against the wall so nonchalantly.. :0 i gasped.
WocketInMyPocket7 3 months ago
@WocketInMyPocket7 Thanks for listening! haha yeah, many ballads are shockingly violent. I don't like real-life violence, but it's kind of funny to me how nonchalant the *songs* are about the violence. i.e. in Wind and Rain, the lyrics go: "but he was fond of the fairer one..so she pushed her into the river to drown." Like, what?? That's your immediate reaction? That's crazy! Also, I'm usually nervous when I'm recording so I'm not always paying attention to the words. :)
asmoen 3 months ago
Very nice; you do this song proud.
MrsMellyB 1 year ago
@MrsMellyB Thank you! That's such a great compliment
asmoen 1 year ago