Matty Groves
A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the yea
Lord DArlen's wife came into the church,
the gospel for to hear
And when the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes abou
And there she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crow
"Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonigh
Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light"
"Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonigh
By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are my master's wife"
"But if I am Lord Arlen 's wife, Lord Arlen's not at hom
He is out in the far cornfields bringing the yearlings home"
And a servant who was standing by and hearing what was sai
He swore Lord Arlenhe would know before the sun would se
And in his hurry to carry the news, he bent his breast and ra
And when he came to the broad millstream, he took off his shoes and he swa
Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little slee
When he awoke, Lord Arlenwas standing at his fee
Saying "How do you like my feather bed and how do you like my sheet
How do you like my lady who lies in your arms asleep?"
"Oh, well I like your feather bed and well I like your sheet
But better I like your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep"
"Well, get up, get up," Lord Arlencried, "get up as quick as you ca
It'll never be said in fair England that I slew a naked man"
"Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my lif
For you have two long beaten swords and I not a pocket knife"
"Well it's true I have two beaten swords and they cost me deep in the purs
But you will have the better of them and I will have the wors
And you will strike the very first blow and strike it like a ma
I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can"
So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Arlen sor
Lord Arlen struck the very next blow and Matty struck no mor
And then Lord Arlentook his wife and he sat her on his kne
Saying "Who do you like the best of us, Matty Groves or me?"
And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so fre
"I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you or your finery"
Lord Arlenhe jumped up and loudly he did baw
He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wal
"A grave, a grave," Lord Arlen cried, "to put these lovers i
But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin"
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