Little Matty Groves (Child 81) - Sheila Kay Adams

Little Mathy Grove / Mattie Groves / Lord Daniel / Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard (Child No. 81) - Sung by Sheila Kay Adams of Sodom Laurel, Madison County, North Carolina. Learned from her great-aunt "Granny" Dellie Chandler Norton. From "A Spring In Burton Cove" (1992) Granny Dell Records - CDR-1210.

Song transcription:

Oh holiday, oh holy day,
The first day of the year,
Little Mathey Groves to church did go,
Some holy words to hear, hear,
Some holy words to hear.

He spied some women dressed in black
As they came into view,
Lord Daniel's wife was gaily clad,
The flower of the few, few,
The flower of the few.

She step-ed up to Little Mathey Groves,
Her eyes cast on the ground.
Said, "Please, oh please come with me, stay
As you pass through this town, town,
As you pass through this town."

Oh please, oh please come with me, stay,
I'll hide thee out of sight,
I'll pleasure you beyond compare,
And sleep with you all night, night,
I'll sleep with you all night.

I cannot stay, I dare not stay,
I fear t'will cost my life,
Cause I can tell by your finger rings
That you are Lord Daniel's wife, wife,
That you are Lord Daniel's wife.

Lord Daniel's in some distant land,
He's left me for to roam.
He's taken all his merry men,
And I am quite alone, lone,
And I am quite alone.

Her little footy-page was standing near by,
Was a-hearing every word was said,
He said, "Before the sun goes down,
Lord Daniel'll know what's said, said,
Lord Daniel'll know what's said."

He ran along the king's highway,
He swam against the tide,
And before the sun went down,
He's standing by Daniel's side, side,
He's standing by Daniel's side.

"What news, what news," Lord Daniel cried,
"What new do you bring to me?
My tenants wronged, my castle burned,
My wife with a baby, be,
My wife with a baby?"

No harm has come to your house or lands,
While you have been away,
But Little Mathey Groves is a-hugging and a-kissing
On your fair lady gay, gay,
On your fair lady gay.

If what you say is not the truth
As I take it to be,
I'll build a scaffold tower so high
And hang-ed you will be, be,
And hang-ed you will be.

If what I say is not the truth,
And false as false can be,
You need not build a scaffold tower,
Just hang me from a tree, tree,
Just hang me from a tree.

Lord Daniel called his merry men
And bid them with him go,
But warned them not to speak a word,
And not a horn to blow, blow,
And not a horn to blow.

But riding with his merry men,
Was one who'd wish no ill.
He put his bugle to his mouth
And he blew it loud and shrill, shrill,
And he blew it loud and shrill.

"Oh what is this?" cried Little Mathey Groves,
As he sat up in bed.
"I fear it is your husband's men,
And I will soon be dead, dead,
And I will soon be dead."

Oh lay back down, Little Mathey Groves,
And keep my back from cold,
'Tis nothing but my father's men
Calling their sheep to fold, fold,
Calling their sheep to fold.

So Little Mathey Groves, he laid back down,
And soon fell off to sleep.
When he woke up, Lord Daniel
Was standing at his bed feet, feet,
Was standing at his bed feet.

Saying, "How do you like my snow white pillows?"
Saying, "How do you like my sheet?"
Saying, "How do you like my pretty little woman,
That's a-laying in your arms asleep, sleep,
That's a-laying in you arms asleep?"

Very well do I like your snow white pillow,
Very well do I like your sheet.
Much better do I like your pretty little woman
That's a-laying in my arms asleep, sleep,
That's a-laying in my arms asleep.

"Get up, get up," Lord Daniel cried,
"Then put on your clothes.
In England it shall never be said
I killed a naked man, man,
I killed a naked man."

I won't get up, I can't get up,
I fear t'will cost my life,
Cause you have got two bitter swords,
And I ain't got a knife, knife,
And I ain't got a knife.

I know I've got two bitter swords,
They cost me deep in purse.
I'll give to you the best of these,
And I will keep the worst, worst,
And I will keep the worst.

The first swing that Little Mathey made
It hurt Lord Daniel sore,
The next swing that Lord Daniel made,
Little Mathey hit the floor, floor,
Little Mathey hit the floor.

Get up, get up, my pretty little wife,
And come sit on my knee.
And tell me which you liked the best,
Little Mathey Groves or me, me,
Little Mathey Groves or me.

She looked up in Lord Daniel's face
And saw his jutting chin,
Said, "I wouldn't trade Little Mathey Groves
For you and all your kin, kin,
For you and all your kin."

He took her by her lily white hand
And led her across the hall.
He pulled out his sword and cut off her head,
And he kicked it against the wall, wall,
And he kicked it against the wall.

Go dig me a grave both wide and deep
To bury these two in,
Just kick Little Mathey Groves over the side,
But lower my sweet wife in, in,
Yes, lower my sweet wife in.