In The English and Scots Popular Ballads, Professor Child has noted that several stanzas of "The Clerk's Twa Sons" echo stanzas in "The Wife of Usher's Well" (see BLOOD AND ROSES, Vol. 5), It is, in our opinion, those same stanzas which give the ballad its special flavour. The four texts given by Child are all from Scottish sources, though ballads with a similar theme have been reported from France, Italy, Spain. Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
lyrics
O, I will sing to you a sang
It'll grieve your heart fu' sair;
How the clerk's twa sons o' Owsenford
Went aft to learn their lair,
Then oot and spak their mither dear,
Dae weel, sons, at the school,
And keep awa' free young women, my sons,
And wi' them dinnae play the fool.
They hadnae been in fair Berwick toon
A twelvemonth and a day;
Till the clerk's twa sons o' Owsenford
Wi' the mayor's twa dochters lay.
Then the word has gane to the mayor o' that toon,
And an angry man was he;
I swear that I'll tak' neither meat nor drink
Till I see them baith hangit high,
And word has gane to the clerk himsel'
As he sat at the wine,
That his twa bonnie sons in Berwick's fair toon
In prison strang were lyin'.
And when he cam' tae Berwick toon,
He rode it roond aboot;
And he saw his twa sons at a shot-window
And the baith a' them lookin' oot.
O, lie ye here for oxen, sons,
Or lie ye here for kye?
Or hae ye injured anyone,
Sae sair bound as ye lie?
O, it's no' for owsen, faither dear,
Nor lie we here for kye
It's a' for a little dear-bocht love
Sae sair bound as we lie.
Then he has gane to the mayor himsel'
And he spoke courteouslie:
Will ye grant me my twa sons' lives,
Either for gowd or fee?
Or will ye be sae good a man
As grant them baith to me?
I'll no' grant ye your twa sons' lives,
Either for gowd or fee,
Nor will I be sae good a man
As gie them baith to thee.
Before the morn at twelve o' the clock
Ye'll see them baith hangit high.
Up and spak his twa dochters
And they cried mournfully:
O, will ye grant us oor twa loves' lives
Either for gowd or fee?
Or will ye be sae good a man
As grant them baith to me?
O, it's I'll no' grant your twa loves' lives,
Either for gowd or fee;
Nor will I be sae good a man
As grant their lives to thee;
Before the morn at twelve o' the clock
You'll see them baith hangit high.
Then he's ta'en oot these twa young lads
And hanged them tae a tree,
And he's bidden the clerk o' Owsenford
Gang hame tae his lady.
Ye're welcome hame, my husband dear,
Ye're welcome hame to me;
But were are my twa bonnie boys,
That should hae come hame wi' thee?
They're putten to a higher lair,
An' tae a higher school;
Your twa bonnie sons 'll no' be here
Till the hallow days o' Yule.
I will spend my time in grief and woe
I will neither laugh nor sing;
And there's no' a man in Owsenford
Will hear my bridles ring.
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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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