Willie's Lady - Folk from the Boat - Episode 69

Willie’s Lady is one of those age old love stories… young man comes of age, sails across the sea, meets a girl, falls in love, gets married, brings her home – so far so good – except for the mother-in-law. Willie’s mother doesn’t quite approve of the girl, and since she’s a witch, she curses her so that although Willie’s lady is with child she’ll never give birth. Ouch.
Read my blog on the ballad here: https://annatam.co.uk/2021/03/03/will...

Pre-order the new album 'Anchoress' at: https://annatam.co.uk/shop/anchoress
Support:   / annatam  
https://paypal.me/AnnaTamMusic
Connect: https://annatam.co.uk
  / annatammusic  
  / annatammusic  
  / tam.anna  

Oh Willie’s sailed right o’er the foam,
He's wooed a wife and he's brought her home.

He wooed her for her yellow hair,
But his mother’s wrought her mighty care.

A weary spell she's laid on her,
That ‘though with child she'll not give birth.

But in her bower she sits in pain
And Willy mourns o'er her in vain.

And to his mother he has gone,
That vile rank witch of the vilest kind,

He says, “My lady has a cup
With gold and silver set about.

“This goodly gift shall be your own
Let her be lighter of her bairn.”

“Of her young bairn she'll ne’er be lighter
Nor in her bower she’ll not shine brighter.

“But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another maid.”

“Another maid I’ll never wed,
Another maid I’ll not bring home”

But sighing says that weary man,
“I wish my life were at an end.”

“Go you unto your mother again,
That vile rank witch of the vilest kind,

“And say your lady has a steed
The like of which has ne'er been seen.

“For he is golden shod before,
And he is golden shod behind.

“And at each part of that horse's mane
A bell rings on a golden chain.

“This goodly gift shall be your own
Let her be lighter of her bairn.”

“Of her young bairn she'll ne’er be lighter
Nor in her bower she’ll not shine brighter.

“But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another maid.”

“Another maid I’ll never wed,
Another maid I’ll not bring home”

But sighing says that weary man,
“I wish my life were at an end.”

“Go you unto your mother again,
That vile rank witch of the vilest kind,

“And say your lady has a girdle,
That’s woven red gold in the middle.

“And at every silver hem
Hangs fifty silver bells and ten;

“This goodly gift shall be your own
Let her be lighter of her bairn.”

“Of her young bairn she'll ne’er be lighter
Nor in her bower she’ll not shine brighter.

“But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another maid.”

“Another maid I’ll never wed,
Another maid I’ll not bring home”

But sighing says that weary man,
“I wish my life were at an end.”

Then out spoke the Billy Blind
And ay he’s spoken in good time,

“Go you to the market place,
And there to buy a loaf of wax,

“Then shape your child out of this wax
And for its eyes, two eyes of glass

“And bid her come to its christening day
And listen well to what she’ll say.”

“Oh who has loosed the nine witch knots
That were among that lady’s locks?

“Who’s taken down the combs of care
That hung among that lady's hair?

“Who’s taken down the bush o’ wood bine,
That hung between her bower and mine?

“And who has killed the master kid
That ran beneath that lady’s bed?

“And who has loosened her left foot shoe
And let that lady lighter be?”

O Willie's loosened the nine witch knots,
That were among his lady’s locks;

He's taken down the combs of care,
That hung among his lady's hair;

He’s taken down the bush o’ wood bine,
That hung between her bower and thine;

And Willie's killed the master kid,
That ran beneath his lady’s bed;

And he has loosened her left foot shoe
And let this lady lighter be:

And now they’ve gotten a bonny son,
And much grace be him upon.