In the heat of the day When the sun shines so freely There I met Master Kilby So fine and so gay
Well, I pulled off my hat And I bowed to the ground And I said 'Master Kilby Oh, where are you bound?'
I'm bound for the west In hope to find rest In the arms of my dear Nancy I'll build a new nest
And if I was the master Of ten thousand pounds In bright gold and silver Or in King William's crowns
I would part with it all With my own heart so freely It's all for the sake Of my charming Nancy
She's the fairest of girls She's the choice of my heart And her skin shines like silver In every part
Oh, I gave her some kisses It was down on the sea shore But still she lay asking Lay asking for more
transcribed from Never Grow Old CD, Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen (lead vocal by Gordon Bok on this cut)
Notes from CD booklet: Nic Jones found this gem in the Journals of the English Folk Song Society, and recorded it on his album From the Devil to a Stranger.
In the heat of the day When the sun shines so freely, There I met Master Kilby, So fine and so gay.
Then I pull'd off my hat And I bowed to the ground And I said: "Master Kilby, Pray where are you bound?"
"I am bound for the West, There in hopes to find rest, And in Nancy's soft bosom I will build a new nest.
"And if I were the master Of ten thousand pounds All in gay gold and silver Or in King William's crowns.
"I would part with it all With my own heart so freely, But it's all for the sake Of my charming Nancy.
"She's the fairest of girls, She's the choice of my own heart, She is painted like waxwork In every part".
This page implies that there's a transcription of the Nic Jones recording in the Digitrad, but I sure didn't find it.
This song is also on a John Wesley Harding CD called Trad Arr Jones, and on one by Alasdair Roberts called The Crook of My Arm. I did not find a Britten recording, or one by Nic Jones. -Joe Offer-