FALSE LAMKIN

The lord said to his lady, before he rode out,
"Beware of False Lamkin, he's a-walking about"

"What care I for False Lamkin, or any of his kin,
When the doors are all bolted and the windows close pinned."

At the back kitchen window False Lamkin crept in,
And he prick-ed one of the other babes with a bright silver pin.

"O nursemaid, O nursemaid, how sound you do sleep.
Can't you hear one of the other babes to cry and to weep."

"How durst I go down in the dead of the night
Where there's no fire a-kindled and no candle alight ?"

As she was a coming down, a-thinking no harm
False Lamkin he caught her right tight in his arm.

"O spare my life, O spare my life, my life that's so sweet.
You shall have as many bright guineas as the stones in the street."

"O spare my life, O spare my life, till one of the clock.
You shall have my daughter Betsy, she's the pride of the crop."

"Bring me your daughter Betsy, she'll do me some good,
She shall hold the silver basin, to catch your own heart's blood."

Pretty Betsy being up at the window so high
Saw her own dearest father come a-riding close by.

"Dear father, dear father, O blame not on me
For it was the false Lamkin murdered baby and she."

There's blood in the kitchen. There's blood in the hall.
There's blood in the parlour where the lady did fall.

False Lamkin shall be hung on the gallows so high
And the nurse shall be burn-ed in the fire close by.


This Cambridgeshire version of Long Lankin was recorded by the Cambridge Crofters on their 1976 album The Cambridge Crofters (Barleycorn CR76). The notes state:

The song was probably based on a real murder at Balwearie Castle in Scotland, but spread to other parts of Britain because of its vivid description. In few versions is it made clear what Lamkin's motives for murder were: perhaps he is no ordinary robber, but a man with a grudge out for revenge.

I have failed to find Balwearie in my maps and atlases - the closest modern name could be Balkeerie, which is in Tayside near Glamis.

The tune used by the Crofters is much more upbeat than most associated with the Long Lankin theme.

Child #93
VRH

MIDI file: LAMKIN.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 160 (375000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: G
TimeSig: 3/4 18 8
Name: False Lamkin
Start
0000 1 62 127 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 67 090 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 62 127 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0239 0 62 000 0001 1 64 090 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 67 090 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 69 090 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 71 127 0959 0 71 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 71 127 0239 0 71 000 0001 1 72 090 0239 0 72 000 0001 1 74 090 0479 0 74 000 0001 1 71 090 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 69 127 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 67 090 0239 0 67 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 67 090 0319 0 67 000 0001 1 67 090 0159 0 67 000 0001 1 62 127 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 67 090 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 67 127 0959 0 67 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:False Lamkin
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:160
K:G
D2|
G2 G2 GF|D2 D2 DE |G2 G2 A2|B4 GA|
Bc d2 B2|AG E2 G>G|D2 G2 F2|G4 ||