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Reinhard Lyr Add: The Well below the Valley (Christy Moore (18) RE: Lyr Add: The Well below the Valley (Christy Moore 23 Jun 18


There is a different and longer recording of John Reilly that was also made by Tom Munnelly and that is printed in Bronson who gives as his source Ceol. A Journal of Irish Music, III, No. 12 (1969), p.66

THE WELL BELOW THE VALLEY
Sung by John Reilly with added verses from Bronson: The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads Volume IV p.457

For a gentleman was passing by,
He asked a drink as he got dry,

Refrain:
At the well below below the valley-o
Green grows the lilly-o
Right among the bushes-o

[She said,] “My cup it is in overflow
An' if I do stoop I may fall in.”

“If your true love was passing by
You'd fill him a drink if he got dry.”

[She swore by grass and swore by corn
That her true love was never born.

“I say, young maid, you're swearing wrong.”]

“If you're a man of noble fame
You'll tell to me the father o' them.”

[“Two of them by your father dear,]

Two of them came by your uncle Dan,

Another one by your brother John.”

[“Well if you're a man of the noble fame
You'll tell to me what did happen to then.”

“There was two o' them buried by the kitchen fire,

Two more o' them buried by the stable door,

The other was buried by the well.”]

“Well if you're a man of the noble 'steem
You'll tell to me what will happen mysel'.”

“You'll be seven year a-ringin' a bell,

You'll be seven more a-portin' in Hell.”

“I'll be seven long years a-ringing a bell,
But the Lord above may save my soul
From portin' in Hell.”


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