Planxty - Johnny of Brady's Lea lyrics

Oh, Johnny rose on a May morning
Called for water to wash his hands
Says "Bring to me my two grey dogs
Ay bound in iron bands"

When Johnny's mother she heard of this
She wrung her hands full sore
Says "Johnny, for your venison
To the green woods do not go"

"For there are seven foresters in Esslemont
And this you know full well
For one small drop of your heart’s blood
They would ride through the gates of Hell"

"Oh, there's many men are my friends, mother
Though many more are my foe
And betide me well or betide me ill
A hunting I will go"

So Johnny has taken his good benbow
His arrows one by one
And he's away to Monymusk
For to bring the dun deer down

Oh, Johnny shot and the dun deer leapt
He’s wounded her in the side
And between the waters and the woods
The two dogs laid her pride

And they ate so much of the venison
They drank so much of the blood
That Johnny and his two grey dogs
Fell asleep as if they had been dead

And by there came a sly old man
A sly old man was he
And he's away to Esslemont
For to tell on young Johnny

"As I came in by Monymusk
And down among yon scroggs
It was there I spied the bonniest dude
Lying sleeping between two dogs"

"And the buttons that were on his coat
Were of the gold so good
And the two grey dogs that he lay between
Their mouths they were dyed with blood"

And up and spoke the first forester
He was headsman over them all
"Can this be Johnny of Brady's Lea?
Unto him we will draw"

And the very first shot
That the foresters fired
It wounded him in the thigh
And the very next shot
That the foresters fired
His heart's blood blinded his eye

Then up woke Johnny from out of his sleep
An angry man was he
He says, "The wildest wolf in all this wood
Would not have done so by me"

And he's leaned his back against an oak
His foot against a stone
And he has fired on the seven foresters
He's killed them all but one

And he's broken seven of this man's ribs
His arm and his collarbone
And he has set him onto his horse
To bring the tidings home

Johnny’s good benbow is broke
And his two grey dogs are slain
And his body lies in Monymusk
And his hunting days are done