Liege & Lief
Album - 6 dicembre 1969 - Debaser id 31786

Come All Ye
(Sandy Denny/Ashley Hutchings)


Come all ye rolling minstrels,
And together we will try
To rouse the spirit of the air
And move the rolling sky.

Those that dance will start to dance
And those who don't will sway
In time to this our merry tune
That we play for you today

So come all ye rolling minstrels
And together we will try
To rouse the spirit of the air
And move the rolling sky

Our fiddler, he just loves to play
And that's why he plays so good.
And now he plays a violin
Made out of solid wood.

So come all ye rolling minstrels
And together we will try
To rouse the spirit of the air
And move the rolling sky

Possessor of the magic touch,
But no magician, he
Will play for you some magic notes
Instead as you will see.

So come all ye rolling minstrels
And together we will try
To rouse the spirit of the air
And move the rolling sky.

The sound of beating on the drums
From behind you hear,
And to the rhythm of guitar
We hope you'll lend an ear.

So come all ye rolling minstrels
And together we will try
To rouse the spirit of the air
And move the rolling sky

Well, the man who plays the bass does make
Those low notes that you hear.
And the high notes come from you and me
For we will sing so clear

So come all ye rolling minstrels
And together we will try
To rouse the spirit of the air
And move the rolling sky.

Reynardine
(trad. arr Fairport Convention)


One evening as I rambled
among the leaves so green,
I overheard a young woman
converse with Reynardine.

Her hair was black, her eyes
were blue, her lips as red as wine,
And he smiled to gaze upon her,
did that sly, bold Reynardine.

She said, “Kind sir, be civil,
my company forsake,
For in my own opinion
I fear you are some rake.”

“Oh no,” he said, “no rake am I,
brought up in Venus' train,
But I'm seeking for concealment
all along the lonesome plain.”

“Your beauty so enticed me,
I could not pass it by
So it's with my gun I'll guard you
all on the mountain side.”

“And if by chance you should look
for me, perhaps you'll not me find,
For I'll be in my castle,
inquire for Reynardine.”

Sun and dark she followed him,
his teeth did brightly shine,
And he led her up a-the mountains,
did that sly, bold Reynardine.

Matty Groves
(trad. arr Fairport Convention)


A holiday, a holiday, and
the first one of the year.
Lord Darnell's wife came
into church, the gospel for to hear

And when the meeting it was
done, she cast her eyes about,
And there she saw little Matty Groves,
walking in the crowd.

“Come home with me, little Matty Groves,
come home with me tonight,
Come home with me, little Matty Groves,
and sleep with me till light.”

“Oh, I can't come home, I won't come
home and sleep with you tonight,
By the rings on your fingers I can
tell you are Lord Darnell's wife.”

“What if I am Lord Darnell's wife?
Lord Darnell's not at home.
For he is out in the far cornfields
Bringing the yearlings home."

Now a servant who was standing by
and hearing what was said,
He swore Lord Darnell he would know
before the sun had set.

And in his hurry to carry the news
he bent his breast and he ran,
and when he came to the broad mill stream
He took of his shoes and he swam.

Little Matty Groves, he lay down
and took a little sleep,
When he awoke, Lord Darnell
was standing at his feet.

Saying “How do you like my
feather bed? And how do
you like my sheets?
How do you like my lady
who lies in your arms asleep?”

“Oh, well I like your feather bed,
and well I like your sheets.
But better I like your lady gay
who lies in my arms asleep.”


"Get up, get up", Lord Darnell cried
"Get up as quick as you can,
it'll never be said in fair England
that I slew a naked man.”

“Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up,
I can't get up for my life.
For you have two long beaten swords
and I not a pocket-knife.”

“Well it's true I have two beaten swords,
and they cost me deep in the purse.
But you will have the better of them
and I will have the worse."

"And you will strike the very first blow,
and strike it like a man,
I will strike the very next blow
and kill you if I can.

So Matty struck the very first blow
and he hurt Lord Darnell sore,
Lord Darnell struck the very next blow
and Matty struck no more.

And then Lord Darnell he took his wife
and he sat her on his knee,
Saying, “Who do you like the best of
us, Matty Groves or me?”

And then up spoke his own dear wife,
never heard to speak so free.
"I'd rather kiss from dead Matty's lips,
than you with your finery.

Lord Darnell he jumped up and
loudly he did bawl,
He struck his wife right through
the heart and pinned her against the wall.

“A grave, a grave!” Lord Darnell cried,
“to put these lovers in.
But bury my lady at the top
for she was of noble kin."

Farewell, farewell to you who would hear
You lonely travellers all
The cold north wind will blow again
The winding road does call

And will you never return to see
Your bruised and beaten sons?
"Oh, I would, I would, if welcome I were
For they loathe me, every one"

And will you never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be?
And can you never swear a year


To any one of we?

"No, I will never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be
But I'll swear a year to one who lies
Asleep along side of me"

Farewell, farewell to you who would hear
You lonely travellers all
The cold north wind will blow again
The winding road does call

I forbid you maidens all that wear gold in your hair
To travel to Carterhaugh for young Tam Lin is there
None that go by Carterhaugh but they leave him a pledge
Either their mantles of green or else their maidenhead
Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her knee
And she's gone to Carterhaugh as fast as go can she
She'd not pulled a double rose, a rose but only two
When up there came young Tam Lin, says "Lady, pull no more"
"And why come you to Carterhaugh without command from me?"
"I'll come and go", young Janet said, "and ask no leave of thee"

Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her knee
And she's gone to her father as fast as go can she
Well, up then spoke her father dear and he spoke meek and mild
"Oh, and alas, Janet," he said, "I think you go with child"
"Well, if that be so," Janet said, "myself shall bear the blame
There's not a knight in all your hall shall get the baby's name"
For if my love were an earthly knight as he is an elfin grey
I'd not change my own true love for any knight you have"

Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her knee
And she's gone to Carterhaugh as fast as go can she
"Oh, tell to me, Tam Lin," she said, "why came you here to dwell?"


"The Queen of Faeries caught me when from my horse I fell
And at the end of seven years she pays a tithe to Hell
I so fair and full of flesh and feared it be myself
But tonight is Hallowe'en and the faerie folk ride
Those that would their true love win at Miles Cross they must buy
First let past the horses black and then let past the brown
Quickly run to the white steed and pull the rider down
For I'll ride on the white steed, the nearest to the town
For I was an earthly knight, they give me that renown
Oh, they will turn me in your arms to a newt or a snake
But hold me tight and fear not, I am your baby's father
And they will turn me in your arms into a lion bold
But hold me tight and fear not and you will love your child
And they will turn me in your arms into a naked knight
But cloak me in your mantle and keep me out of sight"

In the middle of the night she heard the bridle ring
She heeded what he did say and young Tam Lin did win
Then up spoke the Faerie Queen, an angry queen was she
"Woe betide her ill-fought face, an ill death may she die"
"Oh, had I known, Tam Lin," she said, "what this night I did see
I'd have looked him in the eyes and turned him to a tree"

Within the fire and out upon the sea
Crazy man Michael was walking
He met with a raven with eyes black as coals
And shortly they were a-talking
Your future, your future I would tell to you
Your future you often have asked me
Your true love will die by your own right hand
And crazy man Michael will cursèd be

Michael he ranted and Michael he raved
And beat up the four winds with his fists o
He laughed and he cried, he shouted and he swore
For his mad mind had trapped him with a kiss o
You speak with an evil, you speak with a hate
You speak for the devil that haunts me
For is she not the fairest in all the broad land
Your sorcerer’s words are to taunt me

He took out his dagger of fire and of steel
And struck down the raven through the heart o
The bird fluttered long and the sky it did spin
And the cold earth did wonder and startle
O where is the raven that I struck down dead
And here did lie on the ground o
I see that my true love with a wound so red
Where her lover’s heart it did pound o

Crazy man Michael he wanders and calls
And talks to the night and the day o
But his eyes they are sane and his speech it is plain
And he longs to be far away o
Michael he whistles the simplest of tunes
And asks of the wild wolves their pardon
For his true love is flown into every flower grown