Fay Hield - Jack Orion lyrics

Jack Orion was as good fiddler As ever fiddled on a string And he could drive the women wild With the noise his wires would ring He'd fiddle a fish from the sea Or water from a marble stone Milk from out of a maiden's breast Though baby she had none There he played in the castle hall And there he played them fast asleep Except it was for the young countess And for love she stayed awake When the day has dawned and the co*ks have crown And flapped their wings so wide It's you must come up to my chamber door And lie down by me side So he wrapped his fiddle in a cloth of green And stolen out on his tippy toe Off back to his young man Tom As fast as he could go When the day has dawned and the co*ks have crown And flapped their wings so wide I'm bid to go up to that lady's door And lie out by her side Lie down, lie down, me good master And here's a blanket to your hand And I'll waken you in as good a time As any co*k in the land Tom took the fiddle into his hand And he fiddled and he sang for a full hour Played his master fast to sleep And he's off to the lady's bower And when he come to the countess' door He twirled so softly at the pin And the lady true into her promise Rose up and let him in He did tnot ake our lady gay To bolster nor to bed But down upon the cold hard floor Right soon he had her laid Oh ragged are your stockings, love And stubbly is your cheek and chin And tousled is that yellow hair I saw late yestre'en Oh my stockings belong to my boy Tom But they were the first came to my hand And the wind did tousle me yellow hair As I rode all over the land Tom took the fiddle into his hand And he fiddled and he played so saucily He's off back to his master's house As fast as go could he Up and up, my good master Why snore you there so loud? For there is not a co*k in all this land That has clapped his wings and crowed Jack Orion took the fiddle into his hand And he fiddled and he played so merrily He's off into his lady's door As fast as go could he And when he come to the lady's door He twirled so softly at the pin Saying, "Oh me dear it's your true love Rise up and let me in" "Well did you not now leave behind A golden watch nor a velvet glove Are you come now back again To taste more of me love?" Jack Orion he swore a bloody oath By oak, by ash, by bitter thorn "Lady, I never was in this room Since the day that I was born." "Oh then it was your own boy Tom That cruelly has beguiled me And woe the blood of the ruffian boy Should spring in me fair body" Jack Orion flew off to his home, cried "Tom, me boy, come here to me" And he hung that boy from his own gatepost High as the willow tree