Origins/Versions: Matty Groves / Mattie Groves

Subject: RE: Matty Groves
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 11:35 AM

refresh

Subject: Lyr Add: MATHY ROSE
From:
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 01:21 AM

This is the way I heard this song years ago.

4 and 20 ladies all
Dancing at a ball
Lord Banner's wife a being there
The fairest of them all

First come in was Lily white
The next came pink and blue
Lord Banner's wife a being there
Of the two.

She walked right up to little Mathy Rose
Said won't you take a ride?
You will have servants at your command
And a fair lady by your side.

Take a ride I dare not want
I dare not for my life
I can tell by the rings that are on your fingers
You are Lord Banner's wife.

What if I am Lord Banner's wife?
Lord Banner is not at home
He sits a many a mile from here
Upon King Henry's throne.

Now little Foot page a being there
Heard all was said and done
And swore Lord Banner would hear of this
Before the morning sun.

He ran till he came to the water's edge
And then he jumped in and swam
He swam till he came to the other side
And again he jumped up and run.

And so on.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Matty Groves
From: GUEST,maryrrf
Date: 11 Mar 04 - 08:23 AM

There are so many variants of this song - all of them great! It must have been one of the "tabloid" stories of the day like Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco, or Jean Harris and Dr. whatever his name was (Scarsdale Diet Doctor) - or OJ Simpson etc...

Subject: Lyr Add: MATTIE GROVES (from Joan Baez)
From: GUEST,Alfred Raddatz von "Wir sind Heiden"
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 12:35 PM

ANSWER TO:
""Subject: RE: Matty Groves
From: Will
Date: 22 Feb 99 - 11:02 PM

Joan Baez recorded it on Joan Baez in Concert. But they were dressed in Black. Very different words. I never noticed back then how Spanish her guitar playing was. In this song, the guitar builds up incredible tension and power. ""

A little late, but anyone who will search for the rare lyrics of the differet live version of the "Mattie Groves" that Joan Beaz sung, gonna find them here:

Joan Baez - Mattie Groves (live)


Hi ho, hi ho, holiday, the best day of the year
Little Mattie Groves to church did go, some holy words to hear
Some holy words to hear

He saw two ladies dressed in black, as they came into view
Lord Arlen's wife was gaily clad, a flower among the few
A flower among the few

She tripped up to Mattie Groves, her eyes so low cast down
Sayin pray, oh pray, come with me stay as you pass through the town
As you pass through the town

I cannot go, I dare not go, I fear it would cost my life
For I see by the little ring you wear you are Lord Arlen's wife
You're the great Lord Arlen's wife.

This may be false, this may be true, I can't deny it all
Lord Arlen's gone to consecrate King Henry at Whitehall
King Henry at Whitehall

Oh pray, oh pray, come with me stay, I'll hide you out of sight
I'll serve you there without compare, and sleep with you the night
and sleep with you the night

Her little page did listen well to all that they did say
And err the sun could rise again, he quickly sped away
He quickly sped away

And he did run the King's highway, he swam across the tide
He ne'er did stop until he came to the great Lord Arlen's side
To the great Lord Arlen's side

Guitar bridge

How now, how now my bully boy? What news brings you to me?
My castle burnt, my tenants robbed, my lady with baby?
My lady with baby?

No harm has come to your house and lands, his little page did say
But Mattie Groves is bedded up with your fair lady gay
With your fair lady gay

Lord Arlen called his merry men, he bade them with him go
he bade them nary a word to speak and nary a horn to blow
And nary a horn to blow

But among Lord Arlen's merry men was one who wished no ill
and the bravest lad among the crew blew his horn so loud and shrill
Blew his horn so loud and shrill

Guitar Bridge 2

What's this, what's this cried Mattie Groves, what's this that I do hear
It must be Lord Arlen's merry men, the ones that I do fear
The ones that I do fear

Lie down, lie down little Mattie Groves and keep my back from cold
It's only Lord Arlen's merry men they're calling the sheep to fold
They're calling the sheep to fold

Little Mattie Groves he did lie down, he took a nap asleep
And when he awoke Lord Arlen was standing at his feet
A-standin at his feet

Guitar Bridge 3

How now, how now, my bully boy, how do you like my sheets?
And how do you like my fair young bride who lies in your arms asleep?
Who lies in your arms asleep?

Oh it's very well I like your bed and it's fine I like your sheets
But it's best I like your fair young bride who lies in my arms asleep
Who lies in my arms asleep

Rise up, rise up little Mattie Groves as fast as e'er ye can
In England it shall ne'er be said that I slew a sleepin man
I slew a sleepin man

Now the first to struck little Mattie struck, he hurt Lord Arlen sore
But the next to stroke Lord Arlen struck little Mattie struck no more
Little Mattie struck no more

Rise up, rise up my gay young bride, draw on your pretty clothes
Now tell me do you like me best, or like your Mattie Groves
Or the dying Mattie Groves

She picked up Mattie's dying head she kissed from cheek to chin
Said it's Mattie Groves I'd rather have than Lord Arlen and all his kin
Lord Arlen and all his kin

Woe is me, woe is thee, why staid you not your hand
For you have killed the fairest lad in all of England
In all of England

source/Quelle: http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/mattie-groves.html

Alfred Raddatz: (changes Joan Baez sung live/Änderung zu der Version die Joan Baez live gesungen
hat)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Matty Groves
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 05:20 PM

It's never too late to agree with Kendra, right?

Just want to totally agree with her about Emmy Rossum's fine Matthy Groves in Songcatcher.

I have been looking all my life for a version I could like, and sing, and hers is it.

Anybody want to post Emmy Rossum's lyrics, as far as they go in the film, and an ABC of the tune????? I bet Kendra (if still checking in) would like that and I would too. Maybe some other people would like it as well.

(They're not on the soundtrack CD, a major crime, but then that CD is one of the wrongest-headed ever).

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Matty Groves
From: John Minear
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 08:13 AM

Bob, Emmy Rossum probably learned that version she sings in "Songcatcher" from Sheila Kay Adams, who was her voice/dialect/song teacher coach for that movie. Sheila sings it on a cassette entitled SHEILA KAY ADAMS, A SPRING IN THE BURTON COVE, and on her CD entitled WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO JOHN PARRISH'S BOY?, both available from her at: Sheila Kay Adams, PO Box 1401, Mars Hill NC 28754, and both very good. T.O.M.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Matty Groves
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 08:44 AM

or from CAMSCO Music 800/548-FOLK (3655)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Matty Groves
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 31 Jul 05 - 10:55 AM

Thanks, Turtle Old Man and Dick.

Well, fresh from a viewing of Songcatcher, here's Emmy's version of Shiela Kay Adams' version. Note that it includes only selected verses. ABC first.

MATTHY GROVES
Emmy Rossum as learned from Shiela Kay Adams

.G A A C A C C Å
.G A A C D D-E
E E A A C D E E D
C A .G .E A C, D
C A .G .E.G A

Oh holiday, oh holiday,
The first day of the year
Little Matthy Groves to church did go
Some holy word to hear, hear,
Some holy word to hear

She step-ped up to little Matthy Grove,
Her eyes kept on the ground,
Oh please, oh please come with me, say,
As I go through this town, town...

...

Oh what is this, said little Matthy Groves
As he sat up in bed,
I fear it is your husband's man
And I will soon be dead, dead...

But little Matthy Groves he lay back down
And soon fell fast asleep,
When he woke up Lord Daniels
Was standing at his bed feet, feet...

Saying how to you like my snow white pillow,
Saying, how do you like my sheet?
Saying, how do you like my pretty woman
That's a-layin' in your arms asleep, sleep...

The first swing that little Matthy made,
It hurt Lord Daniels sore,
The next swing that Lord Daniels made,
Little Matthy couldn't fight no more, more...

Adams' version, of course, fills out the missing pieces.

My sentiment when I first saw the film, and it's still my sentiment now, is that I wish somebody would convince both Emmy Rossum and Iris DeMent to make innumerable CDs of traditional songs. They are two of the finest traditional voices alive today.

Of course that's impossible. Emmy, as shown by her more recent films, is a songstress of decidedly stage-style and popular talent who only visited traditional song on her way up...and Iris has her country singer's career to nourish. We're left to cherish immortal moments that are chopped and channeled to fit a film.

Still great, though. And DeMent fully justifies her film attribution as "Mrs. Gentry" -- a reference to Jane Gentry, the great North Carolina ballad singer recorded by Cecil Sharp, whose songs I mostly know from meeting and recording her daughter, Maud Long, in Hot Springs in 1955. DeMent is in her league as a singer, which is high praise indeed.

Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Matty Groves
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Sep 15 - 06:36 AM

A long tima ago (and at my age, that is l o n g !) I heard a version live, no idea of the band, very close to the majority of the Fairports versions, where the final two lines were :

'But bury my Lady at the top
For hers was the greater sin.'

Tony

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Matty Groves
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 27 Sep 15 - 08:41 AM

That couplet more often ends with something like "she comes of better kin". Focussing on the greater sin would suggest she should be buried further down.