Matty Groves
Fairport Convention

A holiday, a holiday, and the first one of the year
Lord Donald's wife came into the church, the gospel for to hear
And when the meeting it was done, she cast her eyes about
And there she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crowd
Come home with me, little Matty Groves, come home with me tonight
Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light
Oh, I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonight
By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Donald's wife
But if I am Lord Donald's wife, Lord Donald's not at home
He is out in the far cornfields bringing the yearlings home

And a servant who was standing by and hearing what was said
He swore Lord Donald he would know before the sun would set
And in his hurry to carry the news, he bent his breast and ran
And when he came to the broad millstream, he took off his shoes and he swam

Little Matty Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep
When he awoke, Lord Donald was standing at his feet
Saying How do you like my feather bed and how do you like my sheets
How do you like my lady who lies in your arms asleep?
Oh, well I like your feather bed and well I like your sheets
But better I like your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep
Well, get up, get up, Lord Donald cried, get up as quick as you can
It'll never be said in fair England that I slew a naked man
Oh, I can't get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my life
For you have two long beaten swords and I not a pocket knife
Well it's true I have two beaten swords and they cost me deep in the purse
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse
And you will strike the very first blow and strike it like a man
I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can

So Matty struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Donald sore
Lord Donald struck the very next blow and Matty struck no more
And then Lord Donald, he took his wife and he sat her on his knee
Saying Who do you like the best of us, Matty Groves or me?
And then up spoke his own dear wife, never heard to speak so free
I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you or your finery

Lord Donald he jumped up and loudly he did bawl
He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wall
A grave, a grave, Lord Donald cried, to put these lovers in
But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin”


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Lyrics by Fairport Convention

  (come All Ye) Rolling Minstrels   A Sailor's Life   A Surfeit of Lampreys [Instrumental]   After Hallowe'en   After Halloween   Angel Delight   Autopsy   Ballad of Easy Rider   Big William   Bird On A Wire   Bonny Black Hare   Book Song   Both Sides Now   Bring 'em Down   Bring 'em Down   Cajun Woman   Cajun Woman [*]   Chelsea Morning   Claudy Banks   Close The Door Lightly When You Go   Come All Ye   Crazy Man Michael   Danny Boy   Dark Eyed Molly   Dawn   Decameron   Dirty Linen   Doctor Of Physick   Dream Song   Eastern Rain   Farewell Farewell   Farewell, Farewell   Farewell, Farewell [Fairport Rehearsal Tape]   Farewell, Farewell [Fairport Rehearsal Tape]   Flowers of the Forest   Fotheringay   From Galway to Graceland   Genesis Hall   I Don't Know Where I Stand   I Heard It Through the Grapevine   I Heard It Through the Grapevine [Live]   I Still Miss Someone   I'll Keep It With Mine   I'm Already There   If Stomp   Iron Lion   It'll Take A Long Time   It's Alright Ma, It's Only Witchcraft   Jack O'diamonds   Jack O'rion   Jack O'diamonds   Jack O'rion   John Barleycorn   John Barleycorn [DVD]   John the Gun   Lady Of Pleasure   Let It Go   Like an Old Fashioned Waltz   London Danny   London River   Lord Marlborough   Meet On The Ledge   Million Dollar Bash   Mr Lacey   Night-time Girl   No Man's Land   No Man's Land   Nottamun Town   Nottamun Town [*]   Nottamun Town [BBC Session]   Now Be Thankful   Now Be Thankful [BBC Sounds of the 70s]   Now Be Thankful [BBC Sounds of the 70s]   Now Be Thankful [Mono Version]   Now Be Thankful [Version]   One More Chance   One More Chance [Studio Version]   One Sure Thing   Over The Next Hill   Part I   Part Ii   Part Iv (the Sailor's Alphabet)   Part Iv (the Sailor's Alphabet)   Part Ix   Part V (john Lee)   Part Vi (breakfast In Mayfair)   Part Vii   Part Viii   Part X   Part Xi (the Hanging Song)   Percy's Song   Pleasure And Pain   Polly On The Shore   Possibly Parsons Green   Red & Gold   Red And Gold   Restless   Reynard The Fox   Reynard the Fox [TV Performance]   Reynard the Fox [TV Performance]   Reynardine   Rising For The Moon   Rising for the Moon [BBC Radio Top Gear Session]   Rising for the Moon [BBC Radio Top Gear Session]   Rising for the Moon [BBC Session]   Rosie   She Moves Through The Fair   She Moves Through the Fair [Troubador, Los Angeles...   Si Tu Dois Partir   Sickness And Diseases   Sir Patrick Spens   Sir William Gower   Sloth   Sloth [Fillmore West]   Sloth [Live]   Solo   Some Sweet Day   Some Sweet Day [*]   Something You Got   Something You Got [*]   Spanish Main   Stranger To Himself   Sun Shade   Tale In Hard Time   Tam Lin   The Ballad Of Easy Rider   The Ballad of Easy Rider [*]   The Banks Of Sweet Primroses   The Bonny Black Hare   The Bonny Bunch Of Roses   The Deserter   The Flowers Of The Forest   The Hexhamshire Lass   The Hiring Fair   The Journeyman's Grace   The Journeyman's Grace   The Lobster   The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood   The Summer Before The War   The Widow Of Westmorland's Daughter   The Widow Of Westmorland's Daughter   Three Drunken Maidens   Time Will Show The Wiser   To Althea From Prison   Tokyo [Instrumental]   Walk Awhile   What Is True?   White Dress   Who knows where the time goes   Who Knows Where The Time Goes?   Who Knows Where the Time Goes? [BBC Radio]   Who Knows Where the Time Goes? [BBC Radio]   Who Knows Where the Time Goes? [Version]   Wizard Of The Worldly Game   Ye Mariners All   You're Gonna Need My Help

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