False Sir John

Child #4  (Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight) 5:13  V & Banjo (B)
An Appalachian version of this story of a woman’s successful escape from a serial killer.

False Sir John a-wooing came,
To a lady young and fair,
May Colvin was this lady’s name,
Her father’s only heir,
Her father’s only heir.

He woo’d her while she spun the thread,
And while they made the hay,
Until he gained this maid’s consent
To mount and ride away,
To mount and ride away.

It’s bring-a me some of your father’s gold
And some of your mother’s fee;
I’ll take thee to some far-off  land
And there I’ll marry thee,
And there I’ll marry thee.

She’s gone into her father’s coffers,
Where all of his money lay,
She’s took the yeller and left the white
And lightly skipped away,
And lightly skipped away.

She’s gone into her father’s stables
Where all of his steeds did stand,
She’ s took the best and left the worst
In all of her father’s land,
In all of her father’s land.

She’s mounted on a milk-white steed
And he on a dapple-grey,
And they rode till they come to a lonesome spot,
A cliff by the side of the sea,
A cliff by the side of the sea.

Light down, light down, said false Sir John,
Your bridal bed you see,
It’s seven women have I drownded here
And the eighth one you shall be,
The eighth one you shall be.

Have off, have off your Holland smock,
With borders all around,
For it’s too costly to lay down here
To rot on the cold, cold ground
To rot on the cold, cold ground.

Cast off, cast off your silks so fine,
And lay them on a stone,
For they’re too fine and too costly
To rot in the salt sea foam,
To rot in the salt sea foam.

Take off, take off your silken stays,
Likewise your handsome shoes,
For they’re too fine and too costly
To rot in the sea with you,
To rot in the sea with you.

Turn around, turn around, thou false Sir John,
And look at the leaves on the tree,
For it don’t become a gentleman
A naked woman to see,
A naked woman to see.

Oh false Sir John has turned around
To gaze at the leaves on the tree,
She’s made a dash with her tender little arms
And pushed him into the sea,
And pushed him into the sea.Oh help, oh help, May Colvin,
Oh help or I shall drown,                                                                                                   
I’ll take thee back to thy father’s house
And lightly set thee down,
And lightly set thee down.

No help, no help, said May Colvin,
No help will you get from me,
For the bed’s no colder to you , sir,
Than you thought to give to me.
Than you thought to give to me.

She’s mounted on the milk-white steed,
And led the dapple-grey,
And rode till she come to her father’s house
At the breakin’ of the day,
At the breakin’ of the day.

Then up and spoke that little parrot,
Said May Colvin, where have you been,
And what have you done with false Sir John,
That went with you riding,
That went with you riding?

Oh hold your tongue, my pretty parrot,
And tell no tales on me,
And I’ll buy you a cage of beaten gold
With spokes of ivory,
With spokes of ivory.