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The antecedents of "Hind Horn" are all Scots, though the song did travel to Ireland. Our version is from New Brunswick. It does not seem to have reached the United States, although it was reported (without a text being set down) in a few of the New England states. The motif of the ring is, of course, an old favourite in fairy tale and myth. The ballad has ties with The Jolly Beggar (Child 279) and The Kitchie Boy (Child 252). it is gentle and loving, like Young peggy - perhaps it is because of this that it did not take root in the United States, where singers have seemed to prefer ballads in which the entire dramatis personae are dead by the end of the story.

lyrics

Young man fair, young man free,
Where was you born and in what country?
In Ireland I was bred and born
Back to Ireland I will return.

When they was parting she give to him
Her heart's true love and a guinea gold ring,
When you looks at the ring and it's bright and true,
You know your lover is true to you.

If this ring he's bright and clear,
You know I'm constant to my dear.
But if this ring he's pale and wan,
Your lover's gone with another man.

He took ship and away went he,
Till he come to that strange country,
When he looked at the ring, it was pale and wan,
He knows she's gone with another man.

So he took ship and back sailed he
Till he come to his own country;
He was a-riding over the plain,
The first he met was the begging man.

What news, what news, what news? cried he,
Sad and sorry I'be to tell to thee;
Sad and sorry I'be to tell to thee,
Today is your true lover's wedding day.

You'll lend me your begging rig,
You'll put on my riding stage;
No, the begging rig's too poor for thee,
The riding stage too good for me.

Be it right, be it wrong,
The begging rig it will go on.
Now tell me as fast as you can,
What is the work of the begging man?

You may walk as fast as you will
Till you come to yonders hill,
But when you come to yonders gate,
Lean on your staff with a trembling step.

Beg fom Pitt, beg from Paul,
Beg from the highest to the lowest of all,
But from them all you need take none
Till you come to the bride's own hand.

He stepped on with a fine good will,
Till he come to yonders hill;
When he came to yonders gate,
Leaned on his staff with a trembling step.

The bride come trembling down the stair,
Gold rings on her fingers, gold bobs in her hair;
A glass of wine all in her hand,
All for to give to the begging man.

Out of the glass he drunk up the wine,
Into the glass goes a guinea gold ring;
Did you get it by sea? Did you get it by land?
Or did you get it from a drowned man's hand?

Neither did I get it by sea or land,
Neither did I get it from a drowned man's hand -
I got it from my love in a courting way,
I give it to my love on her wedding day.

Gold rings from her finmgers she did let fall,
Gold bobs from her hair she throwed agin the wall,
I'll follow you for evermore
Though I'm begging from door to door.

He that was blackest among them all
Now shines the fairest in the hall.
He that was single at the break of day,
Stole the bride from the groom away.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 3, released September 14, 1982
Peggy Seeger - vocals

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

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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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