Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
The little bird didn't let her get away with it.
I'm sure I can improve my singing with practice. Singing is a joy for me, but I often feel extra cautious not to make mistakes while singing on camera and that causes the songs to come out less natural and playful than they could be.
I'm having fun bringing forgotten songs back to life. I often try to sing them my own way without directly copying another singer.
The lyrics need a bit of work, I made all sorts of changes to them:
(I'm too sleepy now, I'll correct them tomorrow)
'Twas late, 'twas late last friday night,
Lady Margaret was going to bed,
When she heard the sound of a musical horn,
Which made her poor heart glad.
She thought it was her brother John
Returning from the king,
But who should it be but her own true love,
A-Riding so late in the night.
Light down, light down, my own true love,
And stay with me all night,
And you shall have a cheer of the charcoal clear,
And a candle to give you light.
I can't light down, I won't light down,
I can't light down at all,
For there's a lady far prettier than thee
Waits in Lord Barney's hall.
He stooped from the saddle so blight
To kiss her red rosy cheeks,
When with a little pen-knife keen and sharp,
She pierced him full deep.
[Oh live, oh live, Love Henery,
For an hour, or two, or three,
And I will send for a doctor dear,
To save the life of thee.] *
You can neither ride east, you can neither ride west,
No nowhere's under the moon,
For there's ne'er a doctor in all this land,
Can cure what I have done.
She called unto her waitingmaids,
By one, by two, and three,
Saying there is a dead man in this hall,
And it's time he was taken'd away.
Some took him by the long yellow hair,
Some took him by the hands and feet.
And they throwed him into the wonderous well,
Fifteen good fathoms deep.
[Lie there, lie there, Love Henery,
Till the flesh drops off your bone,
And have that lady in Barnard's Hall,
Think you long a coming home.] *
Just as she was returning home,
She heard a voice in the air,
Saying go home, go home, and pay
Your hirelings their wages for your dear.
Come down, come down, you pretty little bird,
Come down as low as my knee,
And your cage shall be build of the beaten yellow gold,
And hang in the green willow tree,
I shan't come down, I won't come down,
I shan't come down a-tall,
For fear that you would murder me,
As you murdered your love in the hall.
I wished I had my bow and arrow,
All fitted to the string,
I would send a dart through your bold heart,
As you set on that limb.
I wished you had your bow and arrow,
All fitted to the string,
I'd soon take a flight and fly away,
To yonders valley green.
* I threw together verses I memorized from various sources for this one. It is mainly based on a text that was sung by Mrs. Hannah Gatts Rogers of Washington, Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1949. She had learned the song in the late 1800s from her mother who was born in West Virginia.
The little bird didn't let her get away with it.
I'm sure I can improve my singing with practice. Singing is a joy for me, but I often feel extra cautious not to make mistakes while singing on camera and that causes the songs to come out less natural and playful than they could be.
I'm having fun bringing forgotten songs back to life. I often try to sing them my own way without directly copying another singer.
The lyrics need a bit of work, I made all sorts of changes to them:
(I'm too sleepy now, I'll correct them tomorrow)
'Twas late, 'twas late last friday night,
Lady Margaret was going to bed,
When she heard the sound of a musical horn,
Which made her poor heart glad.
She thought it was her brother John
Returning from the king,
But who should it be but her own true love,
A-Riding so late in the night.
Light down, light down, my own true love,
And stay with me all night,
And you shall have a cheer of the charcoal clear,
And a candle to give you light.
I can't light down, I won't light down,
I can't light down at all,
For there's a lady far prettier than thee
Waits in Lord Barney's hall.
He stooped from the saddle so blight
To kiss her red rosy cheeks,
When with a little pen-knife keen and sharp,
She pierced him full deep.
[Oh live, oh live, Love Henery,
For an hour, or two, or three,
And I will send for a doctor dear,
To save the life of thee.] *
You can neither ride east, you can neither ride west,
No nowhere's under the moon,
For there's ne'er a doctor in all this land,
Can cure what I have done.
She called unto her waitingmaids,
By one, by two, and three,
Saying there is a dead man in this hall,
And it's time he was taken'd away.
Some took him by the long yellow hair,
Some took him by the hands and feet.
And they throwed him into the wonderous well,
Fifteen good fathoms deep.
[Lie there, lie there, Love Henery,
Till the flesh drops off your bone,
And have that lady in Barnard's Hall,
Think you long a coming home.] *
Just as she was returning home,
She heard a voice in the air,
Saying go home, go home, and pay
Your hirelings their wages for your dear.
Come down, come down, you pretty little bird,
Come down as low as my knee,
And your cage shall be build of the beaten yellow gold,
And hang in the green willow tree,
I shan't come down, I won't come down,
I shan't come down a-tall,
For fear that you would murder me,
As you murdered your love in the hall.
I wished I had my bow and arrow,
All fitted to the string,
I would send a dart through your bold heart,
As you set on that limb.
I wished you had your bow and arrow,
All fitted to the string,
I'd soon take a flight and fly away,
To yonders valley green.
* I threw together verses I memorized from various sources for this one. It is mainly based on a text that was sung by Mrs. Hannah Gatts Rogers of Washington, Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1949. She had learned the song in the late 1800s from her mother who was born in West Virginia.
