The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #64582   Message #1056735
Posted By: GUEST,Roberto
19-Nov-03 - 03:35 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Shirley Collins' George Collins
Subject: Lyr Req: George Collins
I'm trying to get the text of George Collins as sung by Shirley Collins on The Sweet Primeroses (Topic). Here is what I can get from the recording. I've put the question mark where I am particularly uncertain of what I've written. Can somebody please check this song and correct the mistakes? Thank you. Roberto

George Collins rode out on a May morning
When May was all in bloom
And there he saw a pretty fair maid
A-washing her white marble stone

She called, she hollered, she highered her voice
She waved her lilywhite hand:
Come hither to me, George Collins - she cried
For your life it won't last you long

He put his foot on the broad water side
Over the lea sprung he
He embraced her 'round her middle so small
And kissed her red rosy cheeks

George Collins rode home to his father's door
He pulled on the bell and it rang
Rise up, mother, (?)and you make my bed
Rise, sister, and let me in

For if I should die this night
As I suppose I shall
Bury me by the marble stone
That's against Lady Elanor's hall

Lady Elanor sat in her castle door
Weaving her silken skein
She saw the fairest corpse a-coming
That ever her eyes shone on

She said unto her serving maid:
Whose corpse is that so fine?
The girl replied – It's George Collins's corpse
An old true lover of thine

Come set him down, my six pretty maids
Throw open the coffin so fine
That I may kiss them clay-cold lips
Ten thousand times they have lapped(?) mine

You go upstairs and fetch me the sheet
That's wove with the silk so fine
And hang it over George Collins's corpse
That (?)tomorrow shall hang over mine

Now the news being carried to London town
And hung (?) upon London's gates:
There's six pretty girls died all in one night
And all for George Collins' sake