Christy Moore - Little Musgrave lyrics

It fell upon a holy day as
Many are in the year
Musgrave to the church did go
To see fine ladies there
Some were dressed in velvet red
And some in velvet pale
Then in came Lord Barnard's wife
The fairest among them all
She cast an eye on Little Musgrave
As bright as the summer's sun
Said Musgrave unto himself this
Lady's heart I've won
"I have loved you Fair Lady full
Long and many's the day"
"And I have loved you Little Musgrave
And never a word did say
I have a bower in Bucklesfordberry
It's my heart's delight

I'll take you back there with me and
Lie in your arms all night"


Standing by was a little foot page
From the Lady's coach he ran
"Although I am a lady's page
I am Lord Barnard's man
My Lord Barnard shall hear of this
Whether I sink or swim"
And every where the bridge was broken
He'd enter the water and swim
"My Lord Barnard! My Lord Barnard! You
Are a man of life
But Musgrave is at Bucklesfordberry asleep
With your wedded wife"
"If this be true my little foot page
This thing that you tell me
All the gold in Bucklesfordberry I
Gladly will give to thee
But, if this be a lie my little foot
Page this thing that you tell me
From the highest tree in Bucklesfordberry
Hanged you will be

Go saddle me the black!" he said
"Go saddle me the grey!
Sound you not your horns, " he said
"lest our coming it betray!"
But there was a man in Lord Barnard's
Train who loved the Little Musgrave
He blew his horn both loud
And shrill away Musgrave, away!
"I think I hear the morning cock
I think I hear the jay
I think I hear Lord Barnard's men
I wish I was away"
"Lie still, lie still, my Little Musgrave
And hug me from the cold
It's nothing but a shepherd lad a
Bringing his flock to fold
Is not your hawk upon it's perch?
Your steed eats oats and hay
You a woman in your arms
Why would you go away?"
So they turned around and they kissed
Twice and then they fell asleep

When they awoke Lord Barnard's men
Were standing at their feet
"How do you like my bed?" he said
"and how do you like my sheets?
How do you like my fair Lady
That lies in your arms asleep?"
"It's well I like your bed he
Said great it gives me pain
I'd gladly give a hundred pounds
To be on yonder plain!"
"Rise up rise up, Little Musgrave
Rise up and then put on
It'll not be said in this country
I slayed a naked man" so slowly
Slowly he got up and slowly he put on
Slowly he went down the stairs
Thinking he'd be slain
"There are two swords by my side
Dear they cost my purse
You can take the best of them
And I will take the worst"
And the first stroke Little Musgrave struck
It hurt Lord Barnard sore
But the next stroke Lord Barnard struck
Little Musgrave ne'er struck more
Then up spoke the lady fair from
The bed whereon she lay

"Although you're dead Little Musgrave
Still for you I'll pray"
"How do you like his cheeks?" he said
"How do you like his chin?
How do you like his dead body
Now there's no life within?"
"It's well I like those cheeks she cried
And well I love that chin
It's more I want that dead body
Than all your kith and kin!"
He's taken out his long
Long sword to strike the mortal blow
Through and through the Lady's heart the
Cold steel it did go
"A grave! A grave!" Lord Barnard cried
"to put these lovers in!
With my lady on the upper hand
For she came from better kin
For I've just killed the finest knight
That ever rode a steed
And I've just killed the finest woman
That ever did a woman's deed!"
It fell upon a holy day as
Many are in the year
That Musgrave to the church did go
To see fine ladies there