H i ho hi ho holid ay
The b est day of the y ear
Little M atty Groves to church did g o
some h oly words to h ear some h oly w ords to h ear
He s pied three ladies dressed in b lack
As th ey came into v iew
Lord A rlens wife was gaily c lad
a f lower among the f ew a f lower am ong the f ew.
S he tripped up to Matty G roves
Her e yes so low cast d own
Saying " Pray oh pray come with me s tay
As y ou pass through the t own as y ou pass t hrough the t own
I cannot go I dare not g o
I f ear 'twould cost my l ife
For I s ee by the little ring you w ear
You a re Lord Arlens w ife the g reat Lord A rlens w ife
T his may be false this may be t rue
I c an't deny it a ll
Lord A rlens gone to consecra te
King H enry at Whiteh all King H enry a t Whiteh all
O h pray oh pray come with me s tay
I'll h ide thee out of s ight
I'll s erve you there beyond comp are
And s leep with you the n ight and s leep with y ou the n ight
H er little page did listen w ell
to a ll that they did s ay
and e re the sun could rise ag ain
He q uickly sped aw ay he q uickly sp ed aw ay
And h e did run the Kings highw ay
He s wam across the t ide
He n e'er did stop until he c ame
To the g reat Lord Arlens s ide to the g reat Lord A rlens s ide
What n ews what news my bully b oy
what n ews brings you to m e
My c astle burned my tenants r obbed
My l ady with bab y my l ady w ith bab y
No h arm has come your house and l and
The l ittle page did s ay
"But M atty Groves is bedded u p
With y our fair lady g ay With y our fair l ady g ay
Lord A rlen called his merry m en
He b ade them with him g o
He b ade them ne'er a word to sp eak
And n e'er a horn to b low and n e'er a h orn to b low
But a mong Lord Arlens merry m en
Was on e who wished no i ll
And the b ravest lad in all the c rew
Blew his h orn so loud and s hrill blew his h orn so l oud and s hrill
Whats t his whats this cried Matty G roves
Whats t his that I do h ear
It m ust be Lord Arlens merry m en
The o nes that I do f ear the o nes that I do f ear
Lie d own lie down little M atty Groves
And k eep my back from c old
Its o nly Lord Arlens merry m en
a'c allin the sheep to f old a'c allin the s heep to f old.
Little Matty Groves he did lie d own
He t ook a nap asl eep
And w hen he woke Lord Arlen w as
A's tanding at his f eet a's tanding a t his f eet.
How n ow how now my bully b oy
O h how do you like my s heets
And h ow do you like my fair young b ride
Who l ies in your arms asl eep who l ies in your a rms asl eep.
Ah its v ery well I like your b ed
And its f ine I like your s heets
But its b est I like your fair young b ride
Who l ies in my arms asl eep Who l ies in my a rms asl eep.
R ise up rise up little Matty G roves
As f ast as e'er you c an
In E ngland it shall ne'er be s aid
I s lew a sleepin' m an I s lew a s leepin' m an
And the f irstest stroke little Matty s truck
He h urt Lord Arlen s ore
But the n extest stroke Lord Arlen s truck
Little M atty struck no m ore Little M atty s truck no m ore.
R ise up rise up my gay young b ride
Draw o n your pretty c lothes
Now t ell me do you like me b est
Or li ke you Matty G roves or the d ying M atty G roves.
She p icked up Matty's dying h ead
she k issed from cheek to c hin
Said "Its M atty Groves I'd rather h ave
Than A rlen and all his k in than A rlen and a ll his k in.
Ah w oe is me and woe is t hee
Why s tayed you not your h and
For y ou have killed the fairest l ad
In a ll of Engl and in a ll of Engl and
