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Fair Flower of Northumberland (Child 9)

from Blood & Roses Volume 2 by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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about

The earliest text of this popular ballad is to be found under the title of "The Maiden's Song" in Deloney's The Pleasant Historie of John Winchcomb, in his younger years called Jack of Newberie. Thomas Deloney, the balleting silk weaver of Norwich, entered Jack of Newberie in the Stations Register on March 7, 1595-7. He has "The Maiden's Song" sung by women cardroom workers "who for the most part were very faire and comely creatures and were all attired alike from top to toe. Then (after due reverence) the maidens in dulcet manner chaunted out this song, two of them singing the Ditty and all the rest bearing the burden."

lyrics

The provost's ae dochter was walking her lane
A young lassie's love whiles is easy won,
She heard a poor prisoner making his mane,
And she was the fair flower of Northumberland.

Gif any lady would borrow me,
Oot into this prison strang,
I would mak' her a lady o' high degree
For I'm a great lord in fair Scotland.

She is awa' to her faither's bed-stock,
A young lassie's love whiles is easy won,
And she's lifted the keys to fit mony a braw lock
And she's lowsed him oot o' yon prison strang.

She's done her doon to her faither's stable,
A young lassie's love whiles is easy won,
And she's ta'en oot a steed baith swift and able
To carry them baith to fair Scotland.

They rid till they cam' tae Crawford Moor,
A young lassie's love whiles is easy won,
Get eff o' my horse, ye brazen-faced whore,
Get ye awa' back to Northumberland.

O pity, O pity, O pity, she cried,
O that my love was so easy won!
Have pity on me as I had upon thee
When I lowsed ye oot o' yon prison strang.

How can I hae ony pity on thee,
Why was your love so easy won?
When I hae a wife and bairnies three
And they're dearer to me than Northumberland.

A cook in your kitchen I will be,
O that my love was so easy won;
I'll serve your lady maist constantly
For I daurna gang back to Northumberland.

A cook in my kitchen ye never shall be
Why was your love so easy won?
I winna hae ony sic servants as thee,
Get ye awa' back to Northumberland.

O laith was the lassie to part wi' him,
A young lassie's love whiles is easy won;
But he hired an auld horse and he fee'd an auld man
To carry her back to Northumberland.

When she cam' her faither before,
A young lassie's love whiles is easy won;
She's doon on her knees and she louted low
Though she was the fair flower of Northumberland.

O dochter, O dochter, why was ye sae bold,
Why was your love sae easy won?
To be a Scot's whore and just fifteen year auld,
And ye the fair flower of Northumberland.

Her mither she spoke and she gied a wee smile,
O that her love was sae easy won,
She's no' the first that the Scots hae beguiled
And she's still the fair flower o' Northumberland.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 2, released April 12, 1982
Ewan MacColl - vocals
Peggy Seeger - dulcimer
Calum MacColl - psaltery
Neill MacColl - guitar

Produced by Neill MacColl
Engineered by Nick Godwin
Recorded at Pathway Studios

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Ewan MacColl London, UK

This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio. ... more

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