Yorkshire Garland
 

The Lady of York

 
Performed by:
Jim Eldon
Recorded in:
Halifax
Recorded on:
01/01/1983
Recorded by:
Jim Eldon
Genre:
Supernatural
Keywords:
Children,
Clothing,
Murder
 

Archival information

TYG:
73
Key:
Eb
Time Signature:
4/4
Roud id:
9
Laws id:
Master title:
The Cruel Mother
Places Cited:
York

Lyrics

1
There was a lady, a lady of York,
Ri-fol-i-diddle-i-gee-wo.
She fell a-courting in her own father’s park,
Down by the greenwood side-o.

2
She leaned her back up against a thorn,
And there she had two pretty babies born.

3
But she had nothing for to lap ’em in,
But she had a penknife sharp and keen.

4
And she didn’t care how much it hurt,
There she stabbed them right through the heart.

5
She wiped her penknife in the sludge,
And the more she wiped it the more blood showed.

6
As she was a-walking in her own father’s park,
She saw two pretty babies playing with a ball.

7
Pretty babes, pretty babes, if’n you was mine,
I’d dress you up in silks so fine.

8
Dear mother, dear mother, when we was thine,
You didn’t have time to dress us up fine.

9
But now we’re away to the heavens so high,
But you, you’ll go to the bad when you die.
Down by the greenwood side-o.
(spoken) So she did.

Recorded by Jim on his Stick Records album I wish there was no prisons, 1984

Archival information

TYG:
73
Key:
Eb
Time Signature:
4/4
Roud id:
9
Laws id:
Master title:
The Cruel Mother
Places Cited:
York