Lord Lovel



Lord Lovel he stood at his castle gate,

A-combing his milk-white steed;

When along came Lady Nancy Bell,

A-wishing her lover good speed,

A-wishing her lover good speed.



"O where are you going, Lord Lovel?" she said,

"O where are you going?" said she;

"I'm going, my dear Nancy Bell,

Strange countries for to see."



"O when will you be back, Lord Lovel?" she said,

"O when will you be back?" said she.

"In a year or two or three at the least

I'll return to my Lady Nancy."



He hadn't been gone but a year and a day,

Strange countries for to see,

When a languishing thought came into his mind,

Lady Nancy Bell he must see.



He rode and he rode upon his white steed,

Till he came to London Town;

And there he heard St. Varner's bell,

And the people all mourning round.



"Is anybody dead?" Lord Lovel he said,

"Is anybody dead?" said he.

"A lord's daughter's dead," a lady replied,

"And some call her Lady Nancy."



He ordered the grave to be opened forthwith

And the shroud to be folded down;

And there he kissed the clay-cold lips,

Till the tears came trinkling down.



Lady Nancy she died as she might be to-day

Lord Lovel he died to-morrow

And out of her bosom there grew a red rose

And out of Lord Lovel's a briar



They grew and they grew till they reached the church top

And there they couldn't grow any higher

And there they twined in a true lover's knot

Which true lovers always admire.



Child #75

@love @death @plant

Collected from Blanche Satterfield in 1915

Printed in Folk-songs of the South

filename[ LORDLOVL

SF

===DOCUMENT BOUNDARY