The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #19418   Message #197534
Posted By: Alan of Australia
19-Mar-00 - 01:14 AM
Thread Name: Penguin: Lucy Wan
Subject: Penguin: Lucy Wan ^^
G'day,
From the Penguin Book Of English Folk Songs, Ed Pellow's rendition of the tune of Lucy Wan (Child #51) can be found here.

LUCY WAN

Fair Lucy she sits at her father's door,
A-weeping and making moan,
And by there came her brother dear:
'What ails thee, Lucy Wan?'

'I ail, and I ail, dear brother,' she said,
'I'll tell you the reason why;
There is a child between my two sides,
Between you, dear Billy, and I.'

And he has drawn his good broad sword,
That hung down by his knee,
And he has cutted off Lucy Wan's head,
And her fair body in three.

'Oh, I have cutted off my greyhound's head,
And I pray you pardon me.'
'Oh, this is not the blood of our greyhound,
But the blood of our Lucy.'

'Oh, what shall you do when your father comes to know?
My son, pray tell unto me.'
'I shall dress myself in a new suit of blue
And sail to some far country.'

'Oh, what will you do with your houses and your lands?
My son, pray tell unto me?'
'Oh, I shall leave them all to my children so small,
By one, by two, by three.'

'Oh, when shall you turn to your own wife again?
My son, pray tell unto me.'
'When the sun and the moon rise over yonder hill,
And I hope that may never, never be.'

Sung by Mrs Dann, Cottenham, Cambs. (E.B. & W.P.M. n.d.)

See here for another version.

Previous song: Lovely Joan.
Next song: The Manchester 'Angel'.


Cheers,
Alan ^^