I am a king's daughter who's strayed from Cappoquin
In search of Lord Gregory, pray God I find him.
"The rain beats at my yellow locks, the dew wets my skin,
My babe is cold in my arms; Lord Gregory let me in."
"Lord Gregory's not at home me dear, henceforth he can't be seen.
He's gone to bonny Scotland to bring home a new queen.
"So leave you these windows and likewise this hall
For it's deep in the ocean you must hide your downfall."
"Who'll shoe my babe's little feet, who'll put gloves on her hand?
Who'll tie my babe's middle with a long and green band?
"Who'll comb my babe's yellow locks with an ivory comb?
Who'll be my babe's father till Lord Gregory comes home?"
"I'll shoe your babe's little feet, I'll put gloves on her hand.
I'll tie your babe's middle with a long and green band.
"I'll comb your babe's yellow locks with an ivory comb.
I'll be my babe's father till Lord Gregory comes home."
"So leave you these windows and likewise this hall
For its deep in the ocean you must hide your downfall."
"You remember Lord Gregory that night in Cappoquin
We changed silken handkerchiefs and all against my will.
"Yours were of fine linen, love, and mine was all cloth;
Yours cost one guinea, love, and mine none at all.
"You remember Lord Gregory that night in my father's hall
We changed rings on our fingers and that was worse than all.
"Yours were of fine silver, love, and mine was old tin;
Yours cost one guinea, love, and mine just one cent."
"But leave you these windows and likewise this hall
For it's deep in the ocean you must hide your downfall."
"My curse is on you mother and sister also,
Tonight the curse of Aughrim came knocking at my door."
"Lie down my little son, lie down and sleep,
Tonight the lass of Aughrim lies sleeping in the deep."
"Saddle me the brown horse, the black or the grey,
But saddle me the best horse in my stable this day."
"And I'll roam over the valleys and the mountains so wild
Till I find the lass of Aughrim and lie by her side."
"Oh, leave you these windows and likewise this hall
For its deep in the ocean you must hide your downfall."
abc | midi | pdf
Source: Milner D and Kaplan P, 1983, Songs of England, Ireland and Scotland, Oak, New York
Notes:
The information in the book is as follows:
The famous Irish (old-style) singer Joe Heaney is often requested to sing Lord Gregory. He calls it "a song you can't do justice to and a song you can't run away with ... just treat it as it comes."
While the essential tune of Lord Gregory is very simple, Joe's rendition of it is virtually impossible to transcribe exactly. His use of melodic variation is such that no verse is ornamented the same and no two performances are identical.
Roud: 49 (Search Roud index at VWML)
Laws:
Child: 76
Related Songs: Who will shoe my Foot? [Georgie Jeems] (thematic)