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Lord Allenwater

from 52 Folk Songs: Indigo by Phil Edwards

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After Shirley and Dolly Collins's "Lord Allenwater" and Patti Reid's "Lord Derwentwater".

lyrics

The King has written a letter so long
And sealed it all in gold,
And he has sent it to Lord Allenwater
To read it if he could.

The first two lines Lord Allenwater read
They struck him with surprise,
But the last two lines Lord Allenwater read
Made tears fall from his eyes.

He called out to his stable boy,
"Saddle me well my steed,
For to London I must go
Of me there was never more need."

His wife, she heard what he had said
As she in child bed lay,
She said, "Make your will now, Lord Allenwater,
“Lest you should go astray.”

“I'll leave unto my only son
My houses and my land;
And here is to my dear wedded wife
Forty thousand pounds in hand.”

He went out to his stable yard,
He mounted his milk-white steed;
Then the gay gold ring from his fingers burst,
And his nose began to bleed.

And as he was riding along the road
His horse caught against a stone.
“Here's signs and tokens," said Lord Allenwater,
"That I shall never return.”

And when he came to fair London town
He rode up to Westminster Hall
There the lords and the ladies, they stood looking hard,
And a traitor he was called.

“No traitor am I,” said Lord Allenwater,
“Indeed I am no such thing,
Faithfully, faithfully have I fought
For James, our lawful King.”

Then up spoke a grey-headed man,
A broad axe in his hand,
Saying, “Hold your tongue now, Lord Allenwater,
Your life is at my command.”

“My life, I do not value it at all,
I give it unto thee,
And the black velvet coat that I wear on my back,
You can take that for your fee.

"In one pocket you will find forty pounds
Pray give it unto the poor,
In the other one you'll find forty-five,
Give that from door to door.

"And all of you lords and you fair ladies too
That stand here to see me die:
I bid you lords of fair London town,
Be kind to my lady."

He laid his head all on the block,
His eyes with weeping were sore,
He laid his head on the fatal block
And word he never spoke more.

credits

from 52 Folk Songs: Indigo, released November 1, 2011
Phil Edwards: vocals, concertina, recorder, flute, processing

With thanks to Dolly Collins, Malcolm Douglas and Sean Breadin

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Phil Edwards Manchester, UK

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