Current 93

Tamlin
lady margaret, lady margaret
was sowing at the sea
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 fine young man
he's standing by a tree
he says how dare you pull those 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 a 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 donw 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