Tamlin lyrics

Lady Margaret, Lady Margaret

Was sowing at the seam

She's all dressed in black

And a thought came in her head to roam in the woods

To pull flowers to flower her hat, my boys

To pull flowers to flower her hat

So she hoisted up her petticoats a bit above the knee

And so nimbly she ran over the ground

And when she came to the merrygreen woods

She pulled those branches down, my boys

She pulled those branches down

Suddenly she spied a finе young man

He's standing by a tree

He says how dare you pull thosе branches down?

Without the leave of me, my dear

Without the leave of me

Well she says this little wood it is my very own

My father gave it to me

I can pull these branches down without the leave of thee, young man

Oh without the leave of thee

And he took her by the milk-white hand

And by the grass-green sleeve

He pulled her down at the foot of the bush

He never once asked her leave, my boys

Oh he never once asked her leave

And when it was done she twisted about

To ask her true love's name

But she nothing saw

She nothing heard

And all the woods grew dim

And all the woods grew dim

There's four and twenty ladies all in the land

And they're all playing a chess

Except it was the Lady Margaret

And she's green as any glass, my boys

Oh she's green as any glass

And these four-and-twenty ladies all in the land

Grow as red any rose

Except the Lady Margaret she's pale and wan, my boys

Oh pale and wan she goes

Up then spoke the little serving girl

She lifted her hand and smiled

She said I think my lady's loved too long

And now she goes with child, my dears

Oh and now she goes with child

Up then spoke the second serving girl

Oh ever and alas says she

That I think I know a herb in the merry green wood

That'll twine thy baby from thee

It'll rip off thy babe from thee

So Lady Margaret she got herself a comb

She made haste to comb her hair

And then she's away to the merry green woods

As fast as she can tear, my boys

As fast as she can tear

And she hadn't pulled in the merry green woods

A herb that barely won

When by her stands the young Tamlin

He says, "Margaret leave it alone

Oh Margaret leave it alone

Why do you pull that bitter little herb

That herb that grows so grey?

For to destroy that fine young baby that we got in our play, my dear

Oh that we got in our play"

"Well come tell me now young Tamlin," says she

"If an earthly man you be"

"I tell you no lies," says young Tamlin

"I was christined as good as thee

I was christined as good as thee

But as I rode a-hunting on a bitter bitter night

It was from my horse I fell

And the Queen of Elvin she caught me

Into yonder green hill to dwell

Oh into yonder green hill to dwell

But tonight is Hallowe'en, lady

The Elvin court will ride

And if you would your true love win

By the millbridge you must hide, my dears

By the millbridge you must hide

And first will run the black horse

Then will the brown

And then will run the white

You hold him fast, you fear him not

For he's the father of your child, my love

He's the father of your child

They'll turn me on in your arms lady into many a beasts so wild

But you hold them fast, you fear no ill

It's the father of your child, my love

It's the father of your child"

So Lady Margaret, she gets herself a comb

She made haste to comb her hair

Then she's away to the old millbridge

As fast as she could tear, my boys

As fast as she could tear

And about the dead hour of the night she heard the bridles ring

Oh my boys, she had her heart more than any earthly thing it did

More than any earthly thing

And first run the black horse

Then the brown

And then raced by the white

Well she held it fast, she feared it not

For it's the father of her child

It's the father of her child

The thunderoll across the sky

The stars blazed bright as day

The Queen of Elvin gave a thrilling cry

"Tamlin's away, brave boys

Brave Tamlin's away!"

The very first thing they turned him into

Is a lion that runs so wild

But she held him fast, she feared him not

He's the father of her child, my boys

He's the father of her child

And the very next thing they turned him into

It was a loathsome snake

He says, "Hold me fast, fear me not

For I'm one of god's own make, my love

Oh I'm one of god's own make"

And again they changed him all in her arms

To a red-hot bar of iron

But she held it fast, she feared it not

It did to her no harm

It did to her no harm

And the very last thing they changed him into

Was like any naked man

She flung her mantle over him

She cried, "My love I've won, I've won"

She cried, "My love I've won!"

And the Queen of Elvin she called for a bush

She's red as any blood

"I should have taken out your eyes, Tamlin

And put in two eyes of wood

And put in two eyes of wood"

• Artist:Current 93