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Mary Hamilton (Child 173)

from Blood & Roses Volume 4 by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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"The Four Maries", as this ballad is sometimes called, are generally supposed to he the four maids-in-salting to Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary Seaton. Mary Beaton, Mary Fleming and Mary Livingston. History suggests that our heroine was NOT one of these but that the ballad is based on a confusion of names snd events. (1) In Queen Mary'a court in the 156O's, there was a liaison between a French girl and the Queen'a apothecary, (2) In the court of Czar Peter of Russia in 1718-1719, there was an 'affair between a Mary Hamilton and an officer named Orloff. It has been put forward that there Was perhaps an older balled that was called into use when the Mary Hamilton affair arose. The emotional pull of the ballad is strong, its narrative simple and clear. I learned this song from the singing of that magnificent Texas woman, Hally Wood. It is rather moving to think of a Texas singer telling the story of a doomed woman moving down ancient Edinburgh streets and laughing on the steps of Parliament ...

lyrics

My mother was a brave woman,
A brave woman and bold,
She sent me to the queen's court
When scarce eleven years old.

The queen's meat was so sweet,
The wine it was so fine,
That I had lain in the old king's arms
And rued it all sin, syne.

News is to the kitchen
News has come to me
That Mary Hamilton's borne a babe
And thrown him in the sea.

Down came the old queen
Gold tassels round her head;
Mary Hamilton, where's the babe
That lay all in your bed?

Mary, put on your robe of black,
Put on your robe of brown;
Mary, come along with me
To ride to Edinburgh town,

She didn't put on the black, the black,
She didn't put on the brown,
She put on her brightest white
To ride to Edinburgh town,

As she rode up the Canongate
The Canongate rode she;
The ladies leaned over their casements
And wept for that lady.

As she walked up the Parliament Stairs
A loud, loud laugh gave she.
When she walked down the Parliament Stairs
She was condemned to die.

Go bring me the red wine,
The reddest that may be;
I'll drink a toast to the sailory boys
Who brought me over the sea.

Lest night I washed the old queen's feet,
Put gold round her hair;
Today she gave me my reward
The gallows to be my share.

They'll put a kerchief round my eyes
They'll never more let me see;
They'll never let on to my mammy and my daddy
I died way over the sea.

Last night there were four Maries,
Tonight there'll be but three;
There's Mary Seaton and Mary Beaton,
Mary Carmichael and me.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 4, released April 12, 1986
Peggy Seeger - vocals

Produced by Calum MacColl
Engineered by Nigel Cazaly

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all rights reserved

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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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