The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #168999 Message #4082983
Posted By: Joe Offer
11-Dec-20 - 03:34 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Songs of the Yorkshire Yankee
Subject: ADD: True Love (Vikki Appleton Fielden)
Thread #168211 Message #4063299 Posted By: YorkshireYankee 07-Jul-20 - 11:01 PM Thread Name: Lyr Add: True Love (alternative broken token song Subject: Lyr Add: TRUE LOVE (Vikki Appleton Fielden)
Hello folks,
Sang this during Monday's world-wide sing and was asked for the words, so here they are (and after the song, a link to a recording of the tune):
I wrote this because I was getting tired of all the trad broken token songs where the "fair maid" collapses weeping/vows she'll never marry when told her true love is dead, then falls rejoicing into the arms of her love when he says "Only kidding! It's really me – I just wanted to test your love." Personally, I think she oughta smack him...
As I roved out one May morning, I spied a maiden fair I asked her if she'd marry me and my love did declare She said her love was far away and that she must be true And showed to me one half a coin that had been broke in two Two-oh, two-oh, had been broke in two-oh... And showed to me one half a coin that had been broke in two
Then I held up the other half and said, "Tis I, your Will!" Now twenty years have we been wed and we are happy still But I've a guilty secret though in wedded bliss we live Which I will now confess to her, and hope she will forgive Give-oh, give oh, hope she will forgive oh... Which I will now confess to her, and hope she will forgive
Your darling Will, he died at sea, a-wounded in the groin He told me of his love for you and gave me his half-coin I promised I would tell you this if you I chanced to find But when I saw you standing there... I somehow changed my mind Mind-oh, mind-oh, somehow changed my mind oh... But when I saw you standing there... I somehow changed my mind
Dear husband, what a charming tale, and what a big surprise To learn that after all these years you told me porkie pies* So now to you a tale I'll tell about my cousin Nancy Who tired of waiting for her Will when Johnny caught her fancy Fancy, fancy, Johnny caught her fancy... Who tired of waiting for her Will when Johnny caught her fancy
And so to me her coin she gave, the one that was but half And said, "If Willie e'er returns, 'twill be good for a laugh I thought that I would tell him this if me he chanced to find But when I saw you standing there... I somehow changed my mind Mind-oh, mind-oh, somehow changed my mind oh... But when I saw you standing there... I somehow changed my mind
So now my tale is at an end, our love has passed the test And even after all these years, it turned out for the best For I love her and she loves me; we found the love we sought Despite the fact that neither one is who the other thought Thought-oh, thought-oh, who the other thought oh... Despite the fact that neither one is who the other thought